Never Forget
by CrazyLittleKookoo
Summary: This has been done but mine is different. Max leaves because something happens and three years after when she bumps into the flock its kill, be killed or run. But Max doesnt run any more.New characters and new enemies. READ IT PLZ FAX l8r on and jealousy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Okay people this is a new story idea I've had, I know the plot is similar to what's been done before but I think mine stands out in its own little way. Anyway enjoy the first chapter of Never Forget. Yes this is after Max.**

Chapter 1

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and think, what the hell am I doing?

I've had plenty of those days, and I still do. I woke up and I looked out of my window and that was exactly my first thought. And just like every other time, I had no darn answer.

I rolled myself out of bed and glared out the sliding glass door that led to the balcony of my Hawaiian Hotel room. I could hear the others in the adjoining lounge, they were busy making breakfast and living as happy as mutants with wings could. I don't know why I was feeling all doom and gloom, even Fang had noticed. A few weeks ago after we saved my mom I wouldn't hold his hand, pulled away from his hugs, stopped talking about feelings, no more loving kisses, I had even pulled myself away from the flock. Refusing to go flying, or to the beach with them, going off on my own for long dull walks.

And I had no damn clue why I was doing this. I just knew, that this for some reason was what I HAD to do. As cliché as it sounded and was, what I was doing was a subconscious goading from my mind, and it was going to lead to something that this would benefit the flock. Well, that's what I'm hoping.

I dove into the shower, rinsing away the grogginess that my sleep seemed to dump on me. I had stopped dreaming lately. Whether that was normal or not, I didn't know. But I had stopped dreaming, or I just couldn't remember what I'd dreamt. I was so confused and I didn't know why.

And here was another cliché saying. Something didn't feel right. Something bad was going to happen. See how my life is just full of cliché movie snippets. Next I'll probably start saying use the force, and how love conquers all and good shall triumph over evil.

Yeah right, as if my life was ever going to be that easy.

I reached up to turn the dial off and step out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around myself, I shook my wings slightly. I brushed my teeth and brushed my mop of hair. As I was turning away I caught sight of myself from the mirror over the sink.

I looked ill, my face was drawn and grey. But I still looked like me, my dark brown eyes, my dirty coloured blonde hair with highlights, my high cheekbones and round chin. I looked more mature than my fourteen-ish years.

Nudge kept telling me I was a 'dead looker' whatever that meant. Something about why guys annoy me so much, I think. I looked closer at my reflection, looking past my gold tan, past the seemingly blemishless skin. I saw the thin scars that patched around my face and neck, the ones that led down my back and arms. I had many more. No one ever seemed to notice I was scarred, they saw what they call beauty, a strong serene face, and assumed everything was fine. And most times it really was, I enjoyed my life with its little adventures with my family. But like Fang I had a mask, unlike Fang mine showed emotion, it showed the emotion that I wanted people to see.

They never saw the scars covered by tanned skin and clothes, they didn't see the scars underneath my smiles and laughter. For some reason the years of fighting, hiding, running, being scared was getting harder to ignore. Because I was Maximum Ride and I could take on the world without breaking. But a little voice in the back of mind whispered that maybe I WAS breaking.

Annoyed at myself I shook my head and marched out of the bathroom and hurriedly got dressed. I threw on converses, a wrap around skirt (yes I have a skirt on don't freak), knee length leggings, white converses, and a blue tank top. I focused on my clothes trying to prevent my mind from thinking of too deep thoughts.

Sighing I threw my balcony doors open and stood with my arm out either side of me. I extended my wings leaning in to the cool breeze. The wind, I loved it, especially when I was flying.

A genuine smile brightened up my face as I closed my eyes and relished the feeling of the wind against my warm skin. A door opened behind me and I turned my head to see angel skip up to me.

"Max? You coming for breakfast?" She asked as she hovered by my waist.

For the first time that seemed like years I wrapped her in a hug and she snuggled closer to me. "Yes, I'm coming."

I had been so odd lately, I was grateful she let me hug her. She turned her head to grin at me.

_It's okay Max, sometimes you just need a break. We understand, after all you are the leader of our flock, I'm sure nobody else would manage this like you. Besides Fang thinks your cute when you're playing hard to get._

I nearly choked and strangled the little devil as she ran out of the room laughing. I straightened up and rolled my eyes. Angel will be Angel and part devil at this rate.

The sound of a cars engine made me turn around and look over the railing. Below outside the front of the lobby a blue sedan pulled up and Brigid, Jeb and Captain Perry stepped out.

"Well, well, well, I wonder what Dr. Wonderful, The King Of The Seas and The Devil want now." I spoke to myself as I walked into the lounge to await them. I might as well enjoy a mutant bird kid healthy breakfast while I was at it.

"Pile up the pancakes Iggy!" He soon rushes to fill my order. And the rest of the flock seem happier that I'm acting more like my normal self.

I looked relaxed but I sat waiting for the lift to ding. And then I counted the seconds while footsteps reached our room door. Three knocks at the door, very ominous. The flock tensed, apart from Angel who sat watching me. I smiled at her and winked. Show time.

**A/N Kay I know this is sorta random but it does get better I promise also tell me what you think of this for a first chapter? Good, bad, hate it, love, ehhh it? Whatever just please please review so I can feel like I'm writing something good. Yay me XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N I just had an awesome idea for this stories plot, this is gonna be so much fun hehe, enjoy it and review for me. I'll try and make this as funny as I can seeing as my other stories are sad and depressing and serious. So time for the fun. Not so much in this chapter but the future ones will be.**

Chapter 2

It was always the same. They were always the same. They either wanted you to do something or just wanted to have you in using distance. They came in a sat down with huge grins plastered on their faces.

Jeb tried to hug me, but once he saw my fists clench he backed off. Brigid sidled up to Fang on the couch, practically clinging to him like a leech, and gushing about how _he _saved my mom all on his own. I think she must live in a fantasy world, she totally grinded my grill. The only one who I thought was okay was Captain Perry, he just sat down calmly and spoke to Iggy and Gasman on how many different missiles his submarine had, oh, and little tips on what they were made of. I would have to talk to those two later about how dangerous making missiles could be. Especially if one went off by accident.

I was standing in the doorway, again I was acting like an idiot and isolating myself from my family. Jeb grinned up at me and my eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

The room practically fell silent when I spoke. I kept my gaze centred on Jeb, Brigid got up and actually went to put her hand on my shoulder. I snapped my head around at her and stalked away. Mwahaha I am evil Max, be afraid be very afraid.

"Now tell me what you want or get out." They stared at me like I was mad. Heck maybe I was, but Jeb was looking at me like he wanted something. And he probably did, it made me feel like an experiment again. And yes I know I _am _an experiment, but there's a difference from _feeling _like an experiment. And trust me, its not a nice feeling.

"Max what makes you think we want anything? Can't we just come over and see how you all are?" Brigid said sounding ever so sincere.

"Yeah you could, but the odds stack up against you. It's not every day a Navy captain, and two scientists come to see me, and in that combo it starts feeling a bit sneaky."

Brigid opened her mouth to say something else, that was probably another lie. But Jeb clapping cut her off. "Well done Max, you aren't as laid back as everyone else is. It's good because you must keep on your toes, anything could happen and you must be ready for that."

I rolled my eyes. "My god, will you just quit it with the cliché movie liners. Its like you've been preaching all of my life. Oh wait, you have."

The flock looked pretty confused and the three guests just shifted nervously, apart from Jeb of course.

"Fine I want to know if you are going back to school? Before all of this happened you decided to go to school. Are you still going?"

I shivered every time he said the word school. I ignored that the flock were excited about the prospect of going to a normal school and learning. I focused on Jeb, if that was all he wanted then why were Brigid and Captain Perry here?

"What's the catch? Because I know sure as hell that you want something."

Captain Perry smiled at me and nodded his head, then looked at Jeb. I followed his gaze.

"Max, lately you have all been developing new abilities. We want to monitor you and try to determine if it's going to affect you permanently, and also how you control those abilities and if there's any side affects to you using them."

Well if I was a kettle I would be blowing steam. My eyes hardened and my back straightened. "You mean you want to use us." I snapped

"No that's not what I said-" I cut him off.

"Oh, I know what you said. You're acting like a white coat. You want to study us, see if you can make others like us, or if not how you can use us. But we have a choice, and we are done being _studied_ for the rest of our lives. We can go to the school if we want without being monitored and tested."

I walked up to Jeb and he stood up to meet me. For some reason all the anger and confusion from the past days boiled up inside of me. "You should have kept your notes _Dad, _from when I was a kid."

Now Jeb was angry and he got right in my face. "I am your father-"

Again I cut him off, it was fun but still I was serious. "There is a difference from being my biological father to actually _being _my father, but apparently no one clued you in on that fact of life."

Jeb looked so blinkered and flabbergasted, hm I wonder why. It couldn't have been the fact that I had pointed out that he was a failure as a father could it? On second thoughts maybe it was.

"Now unless you have anything else worth my time to say leave."

Jeb glared at me and turned around and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Brigid followed but turned to face me halfway out the door. "You know I think it would be okay and right if you let us try and help you."

"Yeah and help _you _get your Noble prize in the process."  
She left after saying goodbye to everyone but me. I turned to face Captain Perry. "Why were you here?"

He grinned sheepishly. "To try and stop you from putting yourself in jail if you tried to kill either of them. I was playing the bodyguard."

I smiled at him, he was one of the few people I actually liked. But still I was a cautious person.

Iggy cleared his throat and I realized for the first time there that there was a tense silence in the room. But thankfully Iggy knew how to clear that.

"Well Msx, you cleared the room better than one of Gazzy's farts."

Crude but effective seeing as we all burst out laughing and Gazzy demonstrated his skill causing us to throw open a window.

**A/N Review people. And thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N To all o my loyal readers out there I am sorry for not updating. Things are hectic and I just haven't had time. Again I'm sorry and hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 3

We were at the beach. For someone who had spent most of their life caged, the beach was one of the peaceful places we could go. Even after a few incidents, like when Fang got a beating from Ari that scared the hell out of me, or when I tried to cut the microchip out of my arm with a seashell. Somehow despite those nasty memories, we still enjoyed the beach and we always ended up there no matter where we went. If there was a beach, we'd find it.

Angel and Nudge were building a sandcastle together by the waters edge. Iggy and the Gasman were annoying Fang in a game of water tag. Total and Akila were dozing I the shade of the palm tree I was on.

We were on a small isolated beach, it was cut off by towering cliffs on either side, which meant you either climbed down the cliffs, swam through the sea, or flew like we did to get to the little haven.

What were we going to do? Jeb was being a pain as usual. But at least he was staying out of my head. For now at least. I had no annoying voice pestering me to save the world, to be stronger, faster, smarter, everything except being me!! Trust me, it could drive a girl mad.

Another bonus about resting at an isolated beach meant that we could let our wings out without worrying about anyone screaming or shooting us.

Nudge had been shopping, she got her hands on my unlimited credit card and went nuts. Hence why we were all wearing what she called beach clothes. The boys were wearing swimming shorts, Fang's were black, Iggy's multi-coloured and Gazzy's were camouflage coloured. Angel was wearing a pink swimsuit with frilly bits attached, Nudge was wearing a tankini in mocha colours that practically looked like her skin. I was wearing short denim shorts and a striped bikini halter top. Oh fun....

I sat up in the curve of the palm tree I was lying on and stood up stretching my wings out. In a flutter of feathers I jumped down of the palm trees curved trunk and padded across the sand to the shade where we had set our backpack next to the dogs. I pulled out some cold drinks and called everyone over.

Dripping and dry my flock sat down on the blankets we spread out around the shaded backpack. I passed the drinks around. It was nice and peaceful, until Nudge opened her mouth.

"Max? What are we going to do? Where are going to go? Because I really don't want to wear those military clothes again, unless I can make them fashionable. And like Jeb was really mad, he's such a shmuck for a dad. No offense, but he just ticks me off, probably not more than you. But I think he ticks you off more than anyone, or perhaps the director ticked you off as much. Oh remember when we hung the director in the air, and you said we were gonna make her into splatter art. That was so much fun, but not as fun as when we-" Gazzy shoved an apple in her mouth to shut her up, and I was thankful, even if she did remind me of a cartoon pig with an apple in its mouth.

Everyone looked at me, as though I had all the answers, I wish I did. Perhaps then life would have been a whole lot easier.

"First we are going to go to air show for the CSM in Nevada. And then we'll see if there's anymore saving the world gigs going that you want to lend a hand in. We'll go from there."  
Not as if I wanted to do any of those. I was tired of all of these missions, and having to be the one in charge, but then again I was now definitely the oldest.

"OH!" Angel exclaimed making me curse for her telepathic eavesdropping. "We forgot your birthday Max. And according to You, Fang and Iggy are all a year older than what we thought. And if today's your birthday."  
"It's okay, my birthday was yesterday, and technically I'm sixteen but I couldn't care less how old I am. It's really no big deal."

"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?" The Gasman pouted.

"I wasn't really in the mood to mention it after Jeb left. And I don't want to celebrate it or anything."

"Why?" Iggy asked.

Such a simple question, yet it froze me inside. They didn't know, and I didn't want to say anything. If I was honest I was still in denial. Still trying to lie to myself. Jeb knew it was my sixteenth birthday, it was why he came. He wanted something from me. But I'd be damned if I'd give it to him.

Angels expression was becoming blank, so I knew she was trying to zero in on my thoughts, hastily I threw up my mental blocks to keep her out. She huffed when she noticed making me grin.

After we finished drinking I took Angel in a tour of the reefs while everyone else went sky dive bombing. It was fun watching Angel talk to fish, and we didn't even need to surface for air.

Everything was going so well. Even my little bout with Jeb hadn't really upset me. So with everything going great I should have known something bad was going to happen. Yet I was still surprised when Angel turned to me with wide eyes and screamed. Funnily enough I could still hear it under water. I was still surprised when I felt a cold scaly hand wrap around my ankle and pull me down through the water at incredible speeds.

I should have known it was too good to be true.

**A/N Again sorry for the wait. And I will update again this week. So review for me please.... XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N kay heres the next chapter and again its late sorry. But please enjoy!!**

Chapter 4

The hand clung to my leg and I could feel pin sharp nails digging in. I was dragged down deeper into the depths, the darkness of the ocean was closing in, the light above me getting smaller.

_MAX!! _I could hear Angel shouting for me in my head, but I was too distracted to talk back and reassure her.

The force of being pulled down, combined with the force of the water rushing past me, made it nearly impossible for me to move. My wings felt like they were straining, being tugged upwards by an invisible thread. I glanced down to see what was attacking me and gasped, breathing in water.

Whatever this thing was, it was an experiment. It had scaly skin similar to a snake or fish, which had a greenish sheen to it. The hand that was latched onto my ankle had webbed fingers, gills dotted its neck and it had a type of fin laid along its arm and calve that was helping it to swim. The creature was swimming faster than a human and when its head turned to look up at me, it grinned with a flash of razor sharp teeth. I had a sudden mental image of a shark.

And just maybe, shark was in this guys DNA.

I kept forgetting to breathe in through my nose and out of my mouth, using my funky new underwater breathing abilities. So I was slowly choking and drowning.

I had one of those moments, one when you're in trouble and you don't care, one when everything freezes for a split second and you think 'I can do anything.' One of those moments.

Blindly I started kicking out with my feet, after many failed attempts I hit something vital, that went crunch under my foot. I suddenly stopped moving and glanced down to see Fishboy clutching his nose.

Score! Wait is that blood?

Dimly I thought _why is blood in shark infested waters bad again?_ The answer was in the shark infested waters bit.  
Frantically I started beating my wings, using them to push me through the water faster than I could swim.

_ANGEL!! Get out of the water! Make sure everyone stays out of it! NOW!_

I could only hope that she did as I said. It was harder to beat my wings in the water, the thrust (see school was handy) was almost stronger than gravity, but it was similar to just flying in the air.

I looked down to see Fishboy swimming after me, and below him something torpedo shaped swimming after us. I pushed myself faster trying to get out before that shape in the distant blue got too close.

I had to get out of the water, I was in my element in the air, down here there was something after both me and Fishboy.

The flickering light in the water was getting clearer, the black blue of the deep sea more see-through. Again I felt a hand clamp on to my leg, pulling me to a stop.

I didn't even try to pull away, he had too strong a grip. I dove down and tackled him, my arm knocked his head, I felt snapping teeth sink in and tear. It was excruciating but I knew the thing beneath us had bigger teeth and would do more damage.

I threw my fist at Fishboy's throat causing him to gasp and clutch his breath trying to breath normally again. It freed my foot.

Again I started moving, I was so close when I heard a strangled scream. I looked down in time to see the great white latch onto Fishboy and shake its head.

A terrible death but I still needed to get out of the water. What I hadn't expected was another shark coming after me from behind the other one. Another great white, it was following my trail of blood in the water. My arm was bleeding profusely.

I was close to the surface, I could see where I would come out into the sky. Only Gazzy was hovering above the water looking right at me. It was too late for me to change course, he was right in my path. And I had a sneaky suspicion that the shark was going to follow me into the air.

As I gave a final burst with my wings the water cascaded down and I came into fresh air, dragging in a lungful of oxygen. I collided with Gazzy but instead of pushing him away from me, I pushed him up. Making him yelp in surprise.

I heard another splash as my pursuer came out of the water, it all happened in split seconds and I had enough time still to think CRAP as I felt the force of a freight train clamp down on my legs with a hundred plus sharp as knives teeth.

I let out a pain filled scream that I couldn't have held back even if I had tried. The sharks weight started to pull me down but before I could go back into the water, Fang had grabbed my arms and Nudge, Angel and Iggy were shouting and kicking the shark to let me go.

"YOU LET HER GO NOW!!"Angel shouted, her voice echoing with a mind command.

The shark abruptly released me and I flapped to get away from the water. I was feeling dizzy and my arm and leg were burning. I was nearly back at the beach with my flock following behind me when I felt myself fall forward, into blackness just as my wings folded like paper.

This was not going well.

**A/N So what do you think? Good bad ehhhh? Let me know I love your reviews no matter how short or long they make me smile. Thankx XD**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Kay people here's a treat for you. I'm working hard on my chapters and I understand that I make grammar mistakes and what not I appreciate the constructive criticism and I am trying to improve. So thanks for telling me cause it means you pay attention to what I write.**

Chapter 5

Fangs POV

I was watching Nudge pump her wings, she was going to dive down into the water next. I was still dripping wet from when I dived. When Nudge was about 200 feet above the water she folded her wings in and tucked herself into a ball. She screamed/giggled all the way down till she was absorbed in a huge SPLASH!! She came up laughing and flapped till she was level with me and Iggy. She was laughing so much she couldn't speak. For once.

"Hey isn't that Angel?" Gazzy asked hovering over the water.

We flew over to him just as pure white wings burst from the water. Instantly we were on alerts, she was petrified, eyes wide with fear and breathing erratically. I glanced around looking for a pair of brown wings that should be following Angel.

"Where's Max?" My voice cut through the others as they questioned Angel if she was all right.

Angels expression told me that Max was stuck down there. I was about to dive after her when Angel shouted.

"No don't! Max said to stay out of the water, something pulled her down. She got free but she wants us to stay out of the water, she's being followed by sharks. And whatever grabbed her is chasing her too."  
SHARKS! My mind screamed. Max could fight many things but I didn't think sharks was one of them. And if I went down there would I make it worse? Could I _not _go down there?

Angel gasped. "One of the sharks just killed what was after Max." She winced as whatever creature had grabbed Max died.

"Can you control them so Max can get out in time?" Iggy asked.

Angel shook her head frantically. "No, I cant. They can smell Max's blood and they're in a feeding frenzy. I cant connect, they're all instinct to kill."

Whilst Angel was frantically rubbing her hands, we all looked around hoping a plan would jump out at us. Max was great at this stuff, thinking of a plan on the spot. Gazzy had floated off and was peering closely at the water.

"Hey I can see her. Woo she's moving fast. Guys you gotta see this."

My mind worked out quickly if she was moving fast, she was being chased and she was going to exit the water. And Gazzy was in the way. That was a big problem.

I started flying towards him even as I was shouting. "Gazzy move it now-"

I was too late, in a shower of water max burst through the water. Beautiful brown golden wings unfurling, water drops making them glisten like diamonds. I saw of her face. She was afraid but determined.

I was so close when she collided with Gazzy pushing him up and away, in the same moment something huge came out of the water. Huge jaws and razor teeth wide open, then they clamped down. On Max's leg.

She screamed, and I swear my heart stopped. I managed to grab her just as she was being pulled down. Nudge and Iggy came over to help me while Gazzy tried to rebalance himself in the air. They started kicking the sharks head and yelling and helping me keep Max aloft with strong down strokes. The Angel spoke. "LET HER GO NOW!"

Thankfully the shark let go.

Max started flying haphazardly towards the beach, pulling out of my grip.  
We followed her. And I was horrified to see blood dripping from her arm and savaged leg to mix with the waves below.

She didn't make it far. She began to dip then fall endlessly to the sea below. I was close so I caught her unconscious form and landed with pounding feet on the beach.

I laid her down next to the shade of the palm tree our pack was resting and helped Iggy treat her wounds. It wasn't good. We couldn't stop the bleeding. After making quick tourniquets from the spare clothes in our bags, we rushed to the hospital near the Navy base.

The most shocking thing was that during the entire flight Max never woke up, not even when my arm bumped her ravaged leg and dug in deep. She didn't even wince.

We landed and didn't stop running until we burst through the hospital doors and shouted for help. I didn't even care that our wings were on display for the whole of the world.

"Please help her she was attacked by a shark!" Nudge practically screeches.

After the doctors and nurses tear their gazes away from our wings they notice Max's ravaged leg and arm, it was possibly one of the hardest things for me to do to place Max on a gurney and let them wheel Max away from me into the emergency room. I was in a kind of daze as a nurse escorted the flock and I to a waiting room.

"You can wait here while we help your friend. It would also help if you could let the doctor know on any special treatment needed seeing as you………um have wings." She seemed nervous and once I sat down with Angel in my lap, she came over and patted my shoulder. "Your friend will be fine, don't look so worried."

As the door closed I dug around in my pockets for a bit until I pulled out Max's phone. "Call Dr. Martinez." I told Nudge.

We all just sat there while Nudge, for once slowly, described what had happened to Max. After a few minutes she hung up with tears in her eyes. "She's coming, it'll take at least five minutes to get here."

No one answered her, we just all sat there with our heads hung, worrying, praying, anything really. I just sat there thinking of Max, hoping she would be okay.

The door to the waiting room opened. Slowly I raised my head and when I saw the man in the doctors coat my eyes widened.

"What are you doing here Jeb?" I asked, my voice dripping acid.

We all snapped to attention then. Max had been wary of Jeb and if he was here it couldn't be a coincidence.

"Don't be so alarmed, settle down. It just so happens I was working here today. And then Max gets rushed into the hospital room with shark bites on her. Now tell me what happened so I can go treat her."

Was it all a coincidence? Could I trust him? Probably not but he was the only one who could help Max right now. So I told him that we had been swimming in the sea and a shark had attacked after Max had cut herself on a rock. I don't know if he bought the story but either way he left to go and operate on Max. I just hoped that Dr. Martinez got here fast, then she could keep an eye on him. Max's suspicions were right, cause he knew more than he was letting on, when I said she cut herself on a rock he smirked, as though he knew better. He was definitely up to something.  
I just didn't know what yet. But it had something to do with Max.

**A/N Wooo that's done and dusted. And if I don't update till after xmas I'll say it now then. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. And as always it would be great if you reviewed for me XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Kay heres a little note don't review if you're just going to tell me how slow I update. I have too much stuff to do to update as quick as I used to. So deal with it. Now that thats out of the way. Thanks to everyone who reviews and reads this cause you make me type faster when I get a few mins, especially now that I've had my operation I get more time to myself. So enjoy.**

Chapter 6

I was in a hospital, or if I was wrong I was back at the School. I was lying on my back, my wings were scrunched up underneath me, resting on sterile pillows and crisp sheets. I must be in a hospital, the School would never give me anything as humane as a blanket. But I knew for a fact that I had needles. I don't care if they're to help me, I still HATE them. The tug of tubes and metal in my flesh made me feel sick, my arm was bound tightly with bandaging and my leg felt weighted down and as heavy as a whale.

So to summarise it all up I felt like crap. Excuse my language.

I forced my eyes open and I could barely see through the blurry crack they made. There was a nurse at the end of my bed checking things off on a clipboard and checking machines that I was linked up to.

I tried to move, to tell her I was fine and I wanted all of this medical stuff taken off me, and preferably thrown into the furnace. Burn baby burn. I thought manically whilst visioning anything medical being destroyed in a huge bonfire heap.

I must have blacked out because when I focused on my surroundings again the nurse was gone and in her place Jeb was poking at my IV drip. He had a needle in his hand and he kept glancing over his shoulder to check the door. Evidently he didn't want to be caught, so he must be up to something not good for me.

_ANGEL!! Get in here now and stop Jeb._ I screamed in my head so loud I think she winced. At least she heard me.

And bless my little angel she came running through the door pointing a finger at Jeb. "Stop right there. And wave your arms like you just don't care."

Surprisingly Jeb started doing exactly that, bloody mind control. But still I started laughing at Jeb's glazed look as he started flapping his arms around. And laughing hurt my chest immensely, and sounded hoarse. I felt like I had been put through the wringer.

Angel directed Jeb to a corner and told him to stay there. As she started walking up to me everyone else came through the door. And when I say everyone I mean EVERYONE. Iggy, Fang, the Gasman, Nudge, Total, Akila, Dr. Brigid, Dr. Martinez, Captain Perry, Ella, two Marines, a doctor and two nurses. Oh and let's not forget the two police officers who followed them.

So you can imagine how my room all of the sudden became pretty cramped. I tried to struggle as everyone spoke and all of the sounds just became babble. Angel told the Marines and cops that Jeb was trying to experiment on me. It was no surprise then when they took him off for questioning. Total even bit his ankles.

I tried to get up out of bed, or at least get into a sitting position. Fang tried to push me down and when he spoke all I could hear was a dull drone. It was as though I was going through a tunnel and was losing track of everything. My sight was blurring and my eyes were fluttering closed the few centimetres I'd opened them.

I felt like I was drifting, floating. Through the white noise in my ears I could hear the heart monitor beeping erratically. Shouts that sounded like frantic whispers, I was going.............. somewhere.

_Max, where are you going? What's happening? Don't go, come back!_

Angels voice stopped abruptly as I was swallowed by blackness. Only I felt odd. Like I hadn't just been lying in a hospital bed feeing like death, but as though I was perfectly fine and standing in the darkness waiting for something to change.

Jeb what have you done? I thought to myself. Jeb must've already done something to me. He must have helped operate on me in the hospital and he must've had numerous opportunities to do whatever he was doing. And now I was stuck somewhere in my mind.

**Are you afraid?**

Ahh, the Voice, which was Jeb. _No I'm not. What have you done?_

**You weren't progressing as you should've, your development seemed to have stopped so I've helped it along.**

_You've did something to me. I'm different, what the hell have you done?!_

**All I have done is to help you Max. You're my daughter and I love you, when you wake up you'll be faster, stronger, smarter, more adept and your powers will appear and evolve at a phenomenal rate. You'll be able to take out your enemies and rid the world of those who shouldn't walk it.**

_You do know you sound like a mad man right? And what I'm hearing is that you've made me into a freaking killer. But you're right some people shouldn't walk this world. And you're one of them. I hope you know what you're doing cause in heaven or hell I'm going to kill you for this. _

**Max you don't understand-**

_No YOU don't understand. You claim to love me as your daughter yet all my life you've used me and hurt me. You let your own son be turned into a monster and die a death that could've been stopped if you stopped it. You've put me through torture and torment along with my family. But I have a right, I live, I breathe, I exist. I am not your toy to be tested and run through hoops for you. Which is why I'm going to ruin your plans. I'll find a way mark my words DAD!_

**Max if you'd only-**

_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!_ I screamed in my head. Whether he left because I said so or because I somehow made him I don't know. But I know I was alone in a black dark corner and I had no idea how to get back to myself.

Oh well time to start meditating. And yes the great Maximum Ride does meditate. Bet you didn't know that didn't you? But its great to relax, and it might help and if it didn't I would have great karma.

**A/N LOL how was that then? Kind of rushed I know but the next chapter will be better that's a promise. And the meditation comment is a tribute to my A level RE teacher, see Miss? I do pay attention. Hahaha, fun times. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!! ~*~I WAT WINGS~*~**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I apologise for the last time I updated I mixed up the chapter with one from my other story but now its been corrected thanks to the notice in a review from my loyal and faithful reader of my annoyingly random stories, so this chapter is in a shout out to you acoincidentalfan, thanks for letting me know I pulled a silly mistake like that. I'm also sorry I haven't updated this in a while, I was working on my other story, but now I'm focusing on this one. So, PLEASE don't kill me!! I'll give you cookies!!? XD lol. Enjoy the read peeps.**

Chapter 7

I was going to kill Jeb.

That was my first thought, after what felt like hours or days, of feeling lost in my own mind and finding my body again. And I am not going to even explain hat sentence because I don't think I can. Whatever they did to me made me feel detached my own body and I had to remember what it was to have an arm or leg, even my head, I felt nothing and therefore could move nothing.

Which made perfect sense for me to be in a foul mood when I eventually did wake up to an empty, white hospital room. No one was here, which was a bloody good thing to. I was so angry I felt like I could just hit anyone. I wanted to lash out and break things.

I felt so violent, and I never felt so volatile. I began to hear things crackle and snap as the anger inside me boiled and burned into a fury that had the effects of a firestorm on my senses.

I pulled my leg out of the hoist it was in, it was firmly bandaged and felt sore, I ignored it. I tanked my arms away from the machines they were hooked up to and felt the sharp pain of needles being tugged out, I ignored it. I didn't even bother to change out of the simple white tank top and what used to be jeans now looked like frayed shorts, I ignored it.

He had tried to use me. Again. I was fed up off being used. The white coats had used me, Jeb had used me, the government had used me, the environmentalists had used me to promote their causes. The only people who I deemed to use me were my flock, because I'd give everything for them, they could use me in any way they wanted. As a shield, as a friend as a mother and so much more.

It looked as though the world was peaceful burning, I had a red haze cover my vision and I dimly turned to the huge window next to my bed. Someone thought it would be nice for me to be able to see the view from a four storey hospital window.

I still just wanted to break things, and as I gazed out that window, not focusing on the buildings and the scenery, but instead the sky and the continuously blowing wind. I wished for these barriers surrounding me to just, somehow, disappear. Obliterate. VThe second I thought that thought. The cracking and snapping sounds formed into one huge boom, I blinked and in the second it took me to do that, the wall of my room had been ripped away. I was now standing on the edge of a ledge and I could pear down at the ground directly underneath me. I dimly thought that one of Gazzy's or Iggy's bombs had gone off. But a little nagging part of my brain told me otherwise. I had done this and I hadn't even meant to. Jeb had done something to give a new power to…. To what? Destroy things at a simple thought and not meaning to do it? It was dangerous. I was dangerous. I was now a danger to my flock and family.

That thought registered in my heart and soul and I made a split second decision, hoping it would be the right one. I would leave. And try to learn to control this new power I didn't want. Or better still track down the scientists and see if there was a way to take it back.

I couldn't stay. I could hear people rushing towards my room, either coming to shoot me, try to help me or whatever heroic thought was in their heads at the mo.

I knew I couldn't say goodbye to my flock. I wouldn't be able to leave if I did. So taking in a quick deep breath I threw myself of the new open room and into empty space. I didn't allow myself the enjoyment of free falling through air, or even the joy I always had when I just moved my wings after so long of being cramped up in a hospital room. I kicked straight into hyper-speed and flew at a neck breaking pace. I hoped when I returned they could forgive me. And accept me back. And listen to my reasons. But when would I return? Or better yet, would I even return to them? And what will I return to?

I closed my eyes and in my mind I imagined I was with them right now, hugging them and living with them.

I didn't know where I was going but I was going to put a safe distance between me and them. For now. I sickening thought wormed its way into my mind. _What if one of them had happened to be in that room with me? I wouldn't have even noticed than and they could be on the floor after a blast from my……my mind? _If I had hurt any of them I couldn't have forgiven myself.

"I will come back, and even if you don't want me, I'll be there watching you, keeping you safe. I'll be your guardian angel even if you don't want one and you don't know I exist."

I didn't know at the time but that little vow I made to myself and them would be even harder to keep than I thought possible.

**A/N kay short and very brief I know. But I promise if I don't update the next xchapter tomorrow it'll be the next day. And the next chapter will be in Fangs POV and three years into the future just FYI for you to know. And this is where the fun REALLY begins. And R&R for me please.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Kay enjoy and I'll update as soon as I can again. XD**

Chapter 8

_We ran into the hospital room all of us with or hearts in our mouths, fearing the worst and hoping for the best. The minute we reached the door I pushed it open and nearly ran in straight to Max's bed, where I knew was by the window._

_A hand grabbing onto my sleeve pulled me up short as I took three steps into the room. I turn around and glare at Iggy who has a strong firm grip on my sleeve. The kids behind him have a shocked blank expression on their faces. They're probably shocked that I'm even showing anger on my usually expressionless face._

"_What are you doing Iggy? Let go of me!."_

_I manage to yank my arm free and quickly turn around to head to Max's side and check on what that bang was and make sure she is okay._

"_Sure you can, but be careful where you step, I can hear the wind and feel a draft." Iggy's voice was forcefully calm but I could pick out the notes of fear of the unknown. _

_It took my mind a while to register what was happening. My eyes could see everything and I just didn't want to realise what my eyes were telling me. It looked as though Max's entire room had been bulldozed. The window and wall was gone, replaced with the jagged remains of the structure of the room. There was about fix foot of floor before it cut off into open air I could even see the beginnings of the structure to the room below and to the sides and above this one. The bed Max was on was hanging on the edge of the ledge, the wires from the machines she had been hooked up to were wrapped around the bed frame and hanging over the edge. I ran to the edge fearing the worst. That I would see a beautiful fallen angel, her face serene as she slept unaware of whatever had happened. And a hidden smile that I would never see again._

_Reluctantly, as I reached the very edge, I glimpsed down dreading to see the sight of Max's motionless form. I didn't want to look, but I had to have visual proof for myself._

_Only I looked down to see a few fallen bits of debris patterning the sidewalk below and a few curious people looking up. But there was no fallen angel, no Max._

_She was gone, someone had taken her. I would never see her again. She had left me. I was alone…… Alone……Alone…_

I snapped up right in bed and glanced around my room. I was sweating from the dream. It was the last time I had been in the same building as Max. She had gone missing after that. We had left her room for ten minutes to talk to the doctor and grab a quick bite to eat and we had heard a huge boom. I had immediately looked at Iggy and Gazzy to see what new bomb they had let explode, only to find them as shocked and confused as me. And I knew something was wrong, we made it to Max's room to find a disaster. And Max had disappeared, not even a trace and we had looked for her, and still we found nothing. It was three years now, and we had all but given up. No one has seen her, its as though she never existed. But I know she did exist, because every day I wake up and she's not here, my heart aches as though a part of me is missing. And I know its her who's missing as cheesy and cliché as it sounds.

I run a hand through my hair as I climb out of bed and walk to the shower. We were staying at Dr. Martinez's house at the moment. The kids were tired and were taking a break from looking for Max, as much as I wanted to go looking for again, I just didn't know where to start. Did she even want to be found?

After getting dressed (all black clothes obviously) I walk into the kitchen to where everyone was eating breakfast. I helped myself to a stack of pancakes and sat on a chair observing everyone. Its what I do best after all.

Iggy was stirring pancake mix, Gazzy was stuffing his face, Angel was eating and talking to Total whilst smoothing Akila, Nudge was looking into a compact mirror and eating toast, Ella was taming Nudge's hair into a ponytail and Dr. Martinez was downing another cup of coffee. And someone should be sitting next to me watching everyone with a slight smile on her face as she ate. But she wasn't.

The back door banged open and Brigid walked in followed by Captain Perry who had helped us look for Max ever since she went missing.

"You guys have to listen to this. Something major has happened." Captain Perry said as he walked in calmly.

And in most houses if people walked in with cryptic lines like that you'd probably phone the police but it was normal for us.

"What is it now? Another business company not being as eco friendly as it should?" Gaz asked.

"You know how Jeb has been on trial for the last three years since Max went missing and his lawyer was going to settle the case today and in all odds he was actually going to get off for free?"

Now Brigid had my attention. "Yes. What happened? Did he do a runner?"

"No he didn't. He was meant to meet with his lawyer for breakfast and when he didn't show up he went to Jeb's house cause they needed to go over a few things. And well, when he got there the door was already open, and when he walked in he…."

Brigid trailed off and I heard Angel gasp. "Oh my gosh."

"Just cut to the chase, what happened?" I demand in a very dark tone, even if I do say so myself.

Brigid looked down and Captain Perry took a step closer and looked up at us.

"When the lawyer walked in the interior of the house looked like it had been bombed, nearly the exact same type of destruction that happened to Max's hospital room when she went missing. They found Jeb at the bottom of the stairs. He was dead. And the interesting thing was that he was only going to get freedom after the trial because he was going to impart information on a project and a company that he said could help us in finding Max. So whoever killed Jeb might be coming to kill you as well."Well that definitely wasn't what I was expecting first thing in the morning. I couldn't even feel sad for Jeb, especially I'd found out all this time he had information that could have helped us in finding Max but now he was dead I would never know it. And I may never find her.

**A/N Kay soz this ones taken me a while but I've been busy with the snow *childish I know* and it'll take me a lil longer to update again. But please R&R if I get more updates I'll update two or three chapters this week!! How's that sound? XD**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N I know its been a while so don't start hassling me please, I've been so busy lately and I am trying to update quickly, I've written the chapters out I just need to type them. So I'm sorry. And I know a few of you are glaring at the screen now so hopefully this chapter might appease you. *hopefully* XD**

Chapter 9

I was so in trouble. I looked around me and felt my head get a little lighter. Well if they were so desperate for a fight why didn't they just say? It would have saved me a lot of time. And they seemed to never learn, I mean how many were here? Sixty? Give or take a few at least. And what a setting, high up in the mountains absolutely no one but chipmunks and bears around for miles. A great place to kill a kid like me, or for me to leave a mass murder for Itex to clean up.

But these experiments where different. They were like bloody humanoid bats! They had leather wings, screechy shrieks and there hands might as well have been curved talons. They were darn lethal. We called these guys Butchers and if you saw what they did to a victim you would understand why.

I would have to take out all of these Butchers, and yeah, I would definitely get hurt. Hopefully not dead though. That would put a damper on things.

I flew up in to the sky and latched on to one of the Butchers. I pulled him down in a free fall and in the last second twisted so he had the impact with the floor, whilst I kicked off of him like a spring board. He went splat.

Well now there was fifty nine roughly left and they were all staring down at their flat buddy in shock. I move fast, I know. But them focusing on something else, allows me to take out a lot more of them.

I flew a little higher into the sky and focused on the clouds. It was all ready overcast and grey. The energy in the air was already charging for the storm to come. It would come a whole lot sooner now.

Round three years ago I had gotten so angry, my new skill had charged the energy around me and blasted out the wall of a hospital room. I had now perfected that skill and had found I could use it for many interesting tricks. Like this one. I focused on the air around me and actually made it electrified so the storm clouds began to brew and look more like a hurricane was coming. A few Butchers caught sight of me and began to fly up, I was a bit ahead of them so I had enough time to focus and direct a charged air current at the Butchers who had just realised I was out of their range. But they were in mine.

A flash of blue light zigzagged across the sky and struck around the Butchers lighting them up like Christmas tree fairies. I smiled as they became burnt and screamed as they fell to the floor below.

The heavens opened up and it began to rain. I refocused and stopped charging the energy just as ten or twelve Butchers tackled me. I couldn't count them properly as I was blocking deadly slashes at my throat and chest. But one of them hooked its talons into my upper arm and raked furrows to my collarbone before I managed to get enough room to swing out form under him and kick him between the legs. He went down for the count. I started flying in a dotted pattern, trying to break up their strategic attack. I didn't have enough energy to charge the air again, it really drains you. Once I had nearly fried my own brain, not the most pleasant experience in the word if I do say so myself.

I threw punches and scissor kicks and karate chops, I even did some cheating and went for their privates and pulled their wings together so they'd crumple like paper. But no matter how good or dirty I was there was just too many of them, when I attacked one, two would score a lucky slice. So when I was down to three I looked like a jungle cat had tried to maul me.

I wanted all of these freaks dead, except one. The one with the funky scars running down one side of his face. He had said something and now I wanted an explanation.

With a final heave on my stamina I pulled one Butchers wings while the other scratched at me, then when he dropped I turned to the one without the scarred face and punched him so hard in the face his jaw cracked and he fell and hit the trees before he could regain flight.

Now it was me and old scar face floating in the sky. He looked behind him with a grin, but once he realised he was the only one left and that the small forms on the ground were bodies and not enforcements, he turned back with fear in his eyes and tried to flee. I caught him. Then I landed on the ground holding him by the neck. I had gotten taller over the years and could now pass for a nineteen year old, so the Butcher's feet were dangling in the air.

"You're going to explain what you meant, that even if I lived for years I wont be able to go back because there'd be nothing to go back to."

He sneered at me and I grinned. "Or I can drop you repeatedly, not high enough you'll die, but high enough that your bones will break and you'll live so I can do it again. Your choice, tell me or have a very prolonged agonising death."

The fierceness on my face must have showed that I wasn't kidding and he blabbered out my worst nightmare. "The laboratories know you want to go back, that that's the only reason you're in control. For them. Your family. We take them out of the equation and you'll become easier to take down. Easier to capture. Easier to control. They are your source of strength and yet they will be what helps us break you." He smiled as he said this and my heart froze and slowly started beating again.

He was distracting me that must mean that they were already after the Flock. I was on my way back to check up on them when I got attacked and sidetracked. This was all a setup. I might be too late.

At that thought and the Butchers choked laughter as I tightened my hold on his throat, I felt murderous.

My anger surged around me and charged energy right at the Butchers chest. I threw him away at me just as there was a flash and he screamed. The Butcher landed with his chest charred to the heart. He would be totally dead soon. A sarcastic part of me though I am so going to end up in hell after this.

I rushed over to a tree where I had thrown my backpack when I had first been ambushed. I rummaged around in the front pocket till I found my flip phone. Opening it I dialled, within seconds the line was answered.

"Hello?"

"Stone, it's Max. Where's the Flocks last definite location?""Oh hey Max. Umm they were staying at the Martinez household when I went to check on them last week for ya. What's the problem?"

"Itex. It's always the problem. They're sending in the Butchers for a slaughter party. I'm about twenty miles from Arizona. I'll have to fly fast but I might need backup."

"Okay I'm still in the area so I'll be there in a few minutes. Fly fast Max and be careful." I was already in the air as I shut the phone shut.

I shoved the phone in my pocket and rummaged through the backpack for something I knew I would need. Lord I hope I wasn't too late. Itex were right. If anything happened to the Flock, it would be the only thing to break me. With fear making my heart hammer I kicked into hyper speed and flew as though the apocalypse was chasing me.

**A/N kay kay hope this is enough. I wrote it long cause I hadn't updated in a while and the next chapter should be up by Wednesday. I'll work on that very hard after I've done my three essays for class. SO review for me please. XD**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N kay next chapter is here XD**

Chapter 10

Fang POV

We were still in the kitchen, pretty much stunned at what we had just been told. Though I was only stunned cause I thought this meant I wouldn't be able to find Max anymore. I once promised her I'd never leave her again. I didn't think she would be the one to leave me. This must be what it felt like to have the one you love leave.

What was I on about? I'm not even sure she left on her own free will. She may have been taken and be back in a cage fighting for survival. No, that was worse, the pain of having her left me was better than the pain of knowing she was back there without me.

I needed to find her. Soon. Cause I am a mess without her.

"He's dead? Like the permanent way?" Nudge asked kind of shocked.

"Yes the permanent way, as in you wont ever see him again because he is already a rotting corpse." Brigid snapped. My eyes shot to her, that was harsh, even coming from someone like Brigid.

My eyes narrowed just as Angels head tilted and she got a curious look on her face. "What on earth is that?"

The minute she said that the sound of hundreds of flapping wings became definable. Getting up I walked to one of the kitchen windows by the sink and looked out at the world. To see a black cloud, just like what the Flyboys looked like when they came after us but these weren't flyboys. They look demonic with leathery wings and black eyes. I found out how more demonic they were when I heard a screech from one of them that seemed to echo around the house.

Totals fur stood up and Akila whined and cowered next to him. "That's gone straight down my spine. And I know what they want. They want t o kill us." Total said with a slight blank look.

I looked at him questioningly, wondering if he was just paranoid, then I realised I felt the same way. Funny enough that screech sounded like a hunting sound, as though they were after blood. Our blood. Must be animal instinct kicking in.

As I was about to tell everybody to prepare for hell the kitchen door got kicked open and in walked in a native American built like a national wrestler. He barely fit through the door. When he came in we all fell into a fighting stance and Captain Perry whipped out a gun.

With a grin on his face he raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "Hey I don't mean now danger, and I just flew like hell to get here to save your butts. So you either shut up and follow me or we argue and get minced by the Butchers."

I take it Butcher's, was the name of the flying demons, and it seemed as though this guy had really flown here by himself. As when he turned slightly to look out the door a pair of wings a dark brown they were nearly black protruded through slits in his shirt.

"Listen we have no time. But if you follow me I can definitely help you find Max. After all she's the one who sent me to save your skins. Now run to the backroom and your gona have to jump through the window. Head for the woods and run straight a head till you get to a clearing. The trees are to close for the Butchers to fly and they could easily kill us from the air."

My eyes narrowed. He knew Max? How? Should we trust him?

"I say we do as he says Fang. Those things just want to kill us and he doesn't. Lets go please?"Looking at everyone's fearful expression. We follow the new guy through to the backroom he doesn't even hesitate to open the floor length mirror. Just jumps through it while covering his head. We followed him to the woods and us being the avian mutants we were, were obviously faster than humans. So we grabbed a hold of Brigid, Ella, Captain Perry and Dr. Martinez and pulled them with us as we entered the tree line at the back of the house.

After a few moment we could hear things crashing into the branches and then screeching as they took after us on foot.

We ran like the hounds of hell were after us. Or should I say the birds of hell? But it was over too quick, the chase didn't last long like it does in the movies. We came into an opening in the middle of the forest. We turned back to back and got ready to fight for our lives it was rather scary, if I'm honest. I didn't know how to kill these things. A few of them were still flying above us, and when the others that had been chasing us on ground came into sight they formed a ring around us. We had nowhere to go.

"Well this was a great plan. We've basically just given ourselves up on a silver platter you dumb idiot!!!" I yelled at the new guy.

"The names Stone. And this is all part of the plan. Now they're gona be an easier target.""Yeah and how the hell are we going to shoot them? We're a little low on weapons or didn't you noticed?" I was getting into a rage now.

Stone snorted and glanced at me. "And she said you rarely showed emotion." he said barely audible but I knew I had heard him correctly cause Iggy turned to him with shock on his face. And it was true I was showing more emotion than usual, I was just worried over the flock, who could blame me?

"Besides." Stone said cheerily, how could he be so happy at a moment like this? "We're not the ones who are going to take them out, we're the bait and we've just lured them to their trap."When he said that he looked up the sky and grinned like an idiot. Dumbly we looked up to see what he was looking at and I saw something incredible. The sky had been nothing but a clear blue with a few insubstantial white fluffs dotted about. But now the clouds were growing bigger and brewing into a darker colour. They literally rolled like waved of the sea. It was incredible. It made the day grow darker ad the clouds blocked out the sun and a few streaks of lightning zigzagged from a purple cloud. I swear I could see a shape of an avenging angel in the darkness of those clouds. And the Butcher's must have to because the ones flying dropped out of the sky and huddled next to the others staring in fear at the building storm.

I would have been afraid of the sudden storm clouds as well if it weren't for Stone's next comment and Angel's reaction.

"Wow she must've flown fast. She's actually on time." Stone chuckled as he looked at his watch.

Angel smiled like the world had just settled all of its wars in one final agreement. "She's back. Max is back."

I looked back up at the shadow of the avenging angel as it closer till the shadow burst through the clouds and a fierce angel bulleted to the earth. My heart seemed to lighten up at what I was seeing. Was this real?

**A/N Well what do you think? Review and I'll update the figt and reunion chapter quicker ;) **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Kay people after this chapter I will start working on both of my stories so updates will be slower than average and I've only made you wait a few days for this beautiful fight and reunion scene chapter. Enjoy! XD**

Chapter 11

Max's POV

Lord I was exhausted. The only thing that kept me flyin at hyper speed and building a storm around me where I knew Stone would take my Flock to make a stand, was my fear and determination to save them. This was how they made me strong. Even though I felt like I was breaking I was still fighting with my all.

Dark black clouds encompassed me I looked down to try and see if I was at the clearing yet, but I could see nothing through this cloud cover. My mind tingled as lightning snapped across the sky. It lit up the world below enough for me to see a circle of monsters stalking a group of innocents.I was there.

I angled myself down and shot to the grown, falling at an angle and focused on the storm. Winds picked up and tree branches thrashed as I came out of the cloud cover, the charge of air around me had lightning snapping around my path in the sky. I was nearly at the ground. In a hasty move I'd learned a few weeks ago to avoid crash landing I rolled forward in the air and opened my wings halfway at and angle and landed in a crouch, placing my hand in front of me to stop me falling forward.

I landed in front of Stone and to my surprise Fang was next to him. They were all here, including Ella, Dr. Martinez, Brigid, and was that Captain Perry?…. Blimey it had been three years! They all looked grown up and (not jealous in any way here) Brigid looked amazing. Angel and Gazzy looked like blonde kid models, Nudge looked amazing with a teen flare to her young looks. Iggy looked older than me he was so tall. And Fang well, time had definitely done him justice.

I tore my eyes away from them all and focused on the horde of Butchers. Same old routine.

"I cant leave you alone for even a day without you looking for some Butchers to tangle with can I Stone?"Stone took a step up next to me and laughed at the petrified look on the Butcher's faces. They were frozen in fear. Apparently they didn't expect me to make a show here.

"Well you know me doll. Love a great toss. Plus you're the one who sent me here this time. By the way, did you know your arms shredded and its bleeding a tonne?"

I glared at him and rolled my eyes. "Max! Oh my god! I cant believe this. You look amazing. Are those leather block heeled boots? And your wearing a one sleeve crop top. Though that sleeve isn't a sleeve but wow, I cant believe this! Can I -" "Nudge be quiet a minute. We haven't got the time." My voice was cold and bland and that shocked them. As much as I wanted to jump and laugh at being with them again. I couldn't at the moment the Butchers looked like they were getting antsy. And Nudge had changed because she shut up.

I took three steps forward and glare at the Butchers around. What were there. A hundred? I was so angry that even exhausted I could take all of these guys out with a single thought. But I would give them a chance to turn tail and run.

"Last chance Butcher's. Leave and tell your boss that if he wants me then come and get me. Or is he too much of a coward? I just took out the bunch of you sent to 'incapacitate' me and you can either join them or live to fear another day. Your choice."

I watched as a few of them jumped into the air and flew back to the labs they crawled out of. But a majority of them stayed. Angered at me laughing tone and casual talk about killing their comrades. They wanted a fight. They were all programmed to work as a group in fights so they took a step forward at the same time about to launch themselves at us. And I made my move.

My fingers flexed outwards and I focused on the storm, lightning lit up the sky and as I focused on the Butcher's starting to screech and curve their talons, I targeted the lightening at all of them. They lit up in a ring of fire and their screech of war turned into a screech of fear and pain. I made the blaze burn more. Giving them a quicker death. It wasn't their fault they were like this.

When there was no more sound. I eased up ion the charge of energy flow and the thunder and lightening stopped. The heavens opened up and poured rain down on us all. Dousing the flames.

"Hey Max! You didn't over do it did you?" Stone shouts over the downpour.

My mind tingles and sharp pain shoots trough my temples. A ripped arm and a nearly frazzled brain. Yeah I think I may have over done it a bit.

I turned and smiled at him. "Maybe Stone. Just maybe. Again."

The Flock and everyone stand there staring at us with a mixture of shock, horror, surprise and delight. Heck who could blame them.

I start laughing and turn my head up to the clouds and enjoy the constant drizzle. Stone laughs with me. And yeah we were mad. We had just faced off a hundred or so Butcher's. But we were alive and together. What more could a gal ask for? I mean I get to fight another day, it's what I'm good at.

"Hey Stone. Do me a favour?"

"Sure what you want chika?" He grins at me and flashes he's winning smile.

"Catch me." I laugh just as my eyes shutter closed and I fall forward. I feel steely arms catch me just as my sense close down one at a time, my brain goes quiet in an attempt to repair the damage I had just caused by exerting my power. But damn it was worth it. I lost full consciousness with an idiots grin plastered on my face. And when I woke up I would be with my Flock for the first time in THREE years. Life wasn't all that bad. Well………mostly.. ;)

**A/N Kat what do ya think? Working all weekend on my chapters so be patient. And what is goin on between Max and Stone? Oooooooooooh. And Max's attitude has changed and you will understand why in later chapters. Hope this went okay so review and let me know XD**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Kay Im so sorry for the looooooooooooonnnnggg wait. I have been illl trying to keep up in class I will try to update each story once a week at least. And as for the question about Max/Stone hope this answers your questions and makes you have a good laugh. I was kind of rough when I wrote this and wanted to make myself laugh. Again sorry and enjoy.**

Chapter 12

Ughhh my head heart. And not just the temples, I felt like my brain was being squished in a vice. It reminded me of an experiment I had done to me a while ago.

There was pain, blood, tears, white walls, silver sharp instruments that clinked when moved. The white coats had a blank yet harsh expression on their faces. It made me angry when they thought they could control me, use me. As if!! They made me so mad I wanted to destroy…..something. Anything and everything. I would kill them all. For making this weak helpless creature that I once swore I would never again be.

I had to get out, I had to run. I had to stop them. I started thrashing around and crying out in desperation. I wouldn't be their test subject anymore. I felt hands trying to restrain me. Holding me down.

"Calm down. Max!"

I would win this time. Inside my head I built a storm and focused my energy on the room around me. I heard snaps and chinks as cracks formed on surfaces. I would blow this place sky high, whether I lived or died be damned.

"Shit! Max wake up."

Shaking and a warm hand on my shoulders brought to my senses. I was in a bed. Stone was trying to wake me up. I wasn't in a lab. I was safe. My eyes sprang open and I connected gazes with Stone. A sharp pain shot through my head as I tried to reign in the energy I had let loose. I managed to drag back most of my energy, except a rogue spark I missed shot through the air and hit a vase on the window sill. The quiet room was suddenly filled with a shattering noise.

I looked around me to take in my surroundings. The flock stood in the doorway with Dr. Martinez and Brigid. I could hear more people downstairs. Stone was sitting on the end of the bed I was in. I pushed myself up and climbed to my feet. I wobbled slightly as my head swam. I waved Stone off as he went to grab me and rested a hand on the bed post for balance.I looked at my family and realised that they looked like they wanted to run to me and yet unsure to as well. I smiled slightly at them and turned to face the shattered pieces of the glass vase. "I'll fix that."

I raised my hand to the shattered piece to help me focus more easily. I ignored the crunching feeling on my brain and reversed the energy pattern that I had used to shatter the vase. Like pieces of a puzzle the vase knitted it self back together, all of the cracked pieces held together till I smoothed out the jagged lines and made it look as smooth as fresh spun glass.

I smiled to myself when I had repaired the damage I had done. "There's one thing I can do right." I murmured. I turned back to my flock about to hug hem whilst I rubbed my forehead.

"How you guys doing?" I plastered a carefree smile on my face.

"Angel pushed forward and ran into my arms. She was soon followed by Gazzy and Nudge I wrapped them all in a hug. How long had I been gone for? They looked all grown up. Had it really been three years. I wrapped an arm around Iggy and Fang and hugged them both. It was nice to be hugged back.

Dr. Martinez walked up to me smiling. "It's good to have you back." She kissed me on the cheek and squeezed me lightly.

Total came running into the room and started to jump up on me along with Akila. I was still weak so when the malamute landed squarely on my stomach I fell backwards onto the bed.

I started panting for breath as black dots edged my vision and my mind gave a sudden squeeze. I gasped and wrapped my arm around my head.

"Max are you all right?" Angel asked.

"OMG!! Whats going on? Why she holding her head? Did she hit something…." Nudge rambling.

"Somebody tell the blind guy whats going on please?" Iggy demanded irritated.

"It's wasn't Akila's fault?" Total defended.

"Did you see what she did to that vase?!" Gazzy hooted.

"What have you done to her?" Fang growled.

Shut up! All of you just shut up!! There were so many voices talking at once, I had enough pressure trying to hold my mind together, I didn't need all the noise. I seriously overdid it when I attacked those Butchers.

Hey at least my arm was better. Just a few scratches left now. But ughh my head!"SHUT THE HELL UP!! ALL OF YOU!"

Owww Stone that hurt. But it worked. The room was suddenly silent.

I felt Stone pull me up into a sitting position. HE peeled back my eyelids and looked at my eyes for a bit. He shook his head.

"I told you not to overdo. You nearly made your mind fry again. You cant do too much. Not after the last experiment. Now are you gonna start listening to me?" He stood up and started tamping his feet at me. Waiting for an answer.

I glared at him as the pain receded to a crevice in my mind. "Listen Stone don't get pissy with me, cause your missing your lover. Go phone your boyfriend and cut me some slack."

"Hmm be like that then. And I already phoned him and he says your being stubborn and him and the others are coming down here."

With that Stone spun on his heel and stalked out of the room. I laughed and he just flipped me the bird. Damn I love that guy. And the others were coming. Perhaps we could manage to sort everything out.

I forgot that the flock were there so when I turned to look at them they all had surprise on their face.

"What?" I ask oh so sweetly.

"He's gay?!" Nudge practically yelled.

Honestly, did she think all guys who wore designer clothing and had a haircut practically every week was straight?

Well she must've lived a very sheltered life. Good, that was what I had wanted. Yet I felt separated from the flock. Had I put too much distance between us in three years? Or would they take me back? Because I had changed so much, and not many people could accept those changes in me.

"I'm going back to sleep. Tell Stone to get me when the team gets here." And just like that I roll ove and pretend to fall straight asleep. Good thing I had perfected my mind blocks otherwise Angel would've known that I was really just lying there, waiting.

**A/N You know the drill!! Hitthe green button NOW!! XD**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Sorry I didn't update this sooner but for some reason my internet went haywire. So here it is and please enjoy and review.**

Chapter 13

I woke up and walked downstairs to the kitchen. The clock on the wall said it was 6.30am. No wonder everyone was still asleep. I walked over to the bread bin and pulled out four slices and stuck them in the toaster. And yes, the great Maximum Ride had learned over the past four years how to use kitchen appliances. I could cook a few things too, but don't expect a gourmet meal. My favourite thing to use was the microwave you could nearly cook everything.

I had been here for two days, I slept most of the time. Stone couldn't resist telling me I was an idiot and nearly landed myself in a come. AGAIN. It seemed these mind games (literally) were becoming a common for me. It was hard to explain what happened. Instead of my body getting physically exhausted, my mind weakens and my brain slows down. It wasn't normal but I guess it was a side effect from the experiment that the white coats had performed a three years ago. I looked back on these memories and laugh. I was so weak for so long, yet now I could cause as much catastrophe as a nuclear missile.

No wonder they wanted me back. And I was just dieing to meet up with them again. No seriously I was. We are gonna have a blast. Literally. Cue evil laughter now. .

The toast popped and I grabbed my slices and buttered them. Picking up my plate of food I sat on the windowsill and looked at the still rising sun. When you spend most of your life caged and in the dark, you take pleasure in the simple things of life. Like the first rays of dawn that shine the brightest after the darkest hours of the night. Wow how deep am I?

I was on my second piece of toast when I heard a silent footfall about two metres behind me.

"You're not as silent as you use to be. What happened? Living the easy life made you slack?" I continued to take a bite out of my breakfast.

"No. I think you've just gotten better at listening for quiet sounds. How you feeling?" Fang asked as he opened the fridge and pulled out some juice.

"I'm much better. Feel great to be exact. I'm healthy, I'm breathing and I slept in a bed last night." I smile as I finish of the last of my breakfast.

I turn around to dump my plate in the sink, only to find Fang staring at me with an intensity that I had missed for four years. He took a step forward and took the plate out of my hand and set it on the counter. He took another step closer and I didn't move, I didn't want to. He brushed my hair out of my face and smiled at me as he leaned in close. I was about to lean forward and kiss him when I realised something. He still thought I was a sweet leader who did anything to keep everyone alive. He was in love with the old Maximum Ride not the new one. Not me.

I pulled back and he sort of glared at me and huffed. "Running away again?" He asked in defeat.

He didn't know it but I hated what he just said to me. So my voice was a bit snaky as I answered. "I don't run away anymore, not from no one or no thing. Just thought you should know I'm not the same as I was, so you might want to think twice before you kiss me. Because you have a happy life here, a cosy feet by the fire lifestyle. I'm still on the run and my war is far from over. The last boyfriend I had ended up dead. He got strafed full of bullets whilst I was chained and forced to watch. But he stood by me and followed me willingly to hell back. If I end up with another boyfriend, he needs to have the same qualities as he did. So ask yourself this, would you help me take out numerous people and kill without hesitation?"

With that parting I turned and headed up the stairs for the shower.

I wasn't lying to Fang. I did have another boyfriend. Blitz. He won my heart after we had met up a year after I had left. He had died eight months ago after we had got caught on a recon mission. He helped me get through some of t worst times, and eve though a part of me still loved Fang, I still loved Blitz as well. I thought I would never see Fang again so I thought it would be okay for me to move on. But if Fang wanted to be with me, he would have to know the risks and not come into a relationship blindly. And I'd be damned if I watched another loved one die before my eyes ever again.

I let a few tears fall out of my eyes at the thought of my dead boyfriend and the complicatedness of my life. The hot water of the shower soon washed the evidence of my tears away and my muscles relaxed in the steam.

I would have to leave soon. I had a mission and my team were coming. There were three unusual experiments to come. Speaking of them they were running late.

"MAX!!!!! The teams hear, get your skinny butt out of the shower before I barge down the door."

I quickly hopped out of the shower, knowing that my gay friend was very serious. Stone had proved once that whatever he said he meant every word of. It was all part of his charm I thought as he banged on the door twice letting me know the team was just outside the house.

**A/N short I know but review because the next chapter is coming and so is the fireworks. Literally and figuratively. =D**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Wow long time since I've done this story so I hope you enjoy and don't kill for the wait. Because I am now getting back into the swing of my stories. So if you kill me there will be no more updates =D**

Chapter 14

I dashed into the room that was mine for the brief stay I was going to be here. I grabbed the ragged old rucksack off the floor and pulled out some rough looking clothes. Everything I had was ripped, dirty, had holes or was held together by a few threads. It was one of the many perks from fighting for your life nearly every day and being on the run with little money.

Which was why I ended up wearing shredded denim shorts, a red tank top that looked like it had designer slashes in the side of it, when they were really from a Butcher, and my trade mark leather block boots. All the better to kick you with dear.

I finger combed my damp hair and tied it up out of the way as I went down the stairs with my pack slung over my shoulder. I could hear the door bell and Stone going to answer it.

"Cue the music." I mumbled to myself causing Fang to look up at me from where he was leaning against the stairs. For some reason his eyes widened and wouldn't budge from me. I rolled my eyes just as an ear splitting scream echoed through the house.

"OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STONE ITS YOU!" My friend and fellow experiment who just so happened to be part cat ran into Stone's chest the moment the door was opened. Then she saw me at the bottom of the stairs. "MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXX!!!!"

Next thing I knew, I was tackled into the wall making my aching head spin as I got tunnel vision.

"Hey nice to see you to Gem. Now get off." I said as I pushed her off of me none to gently. She grinned as she spun around grinning at everyone.

Next came Talon and Ice. Talon walked up to Stone and they shared a quick kiss before they walked up and took a place on either side of me. Ice, just like her name was as chilled and cold as winter. Her tall slim build was as pale as her hair, even her eyes were a glimmering pale silver.

"So are we going to be leaving soon?" Ice asked in her bland and bored way.

"By the time night comes we'll be gone." I say to her. And obviously this causes an outburst from my, I mean the flock.

"No you cant leave yet." That was probably the only sentence I could make out from the babble of noise.

"Silence!" I shout to shut them up. They froze in stunned silence and shock. This was what I meant when I said I had changed. I was more brutal and deadly. Oh and I loved to give orders, but I guess I always had.

"Now then, I have to go, I have places to go people to meet and take out. Also we need to head home. Someone here has probably left a tap running or something." I said as I handed Talon my bag and walked to the living room with everyone following me.

"How's about I tell you a story hey? I left and I cant, I wont come back. A few months after I left you lot I got taken to a lab where I met Talon, Ice and Blitz. We broke out and later on met Gem and Stone. After that we became one big happy family." I snort to myself. "Okay that's a lie, we started tracking down labs and shutting them down. Sometimes some of us go our separate ways, but like now, we sometimes just all meet up and stay together for a while. But we all know the risks we take, we get caught a couple of times by the Butchers and taken to separate labs, but either we get on our own or the rest comes to wreak havoc. It's not as easy as it sounds, it's hard and dangerous. I found that out a while ago when Blitz was killed. That's why were are all that left. Sometimes I'd check to make sure you guys where all right and that the labs weren't coming after you. Turns out I was causing such a fuss they were only ever concentrating on me." I laughed to rid myself of the painful memory of Blitz's death. Damn god let him be at peace.

"That doesn't make sense, when they came after us only the other day." Gazzy said as he stared at Ice who was fiddling with her PDA.

"That's because its taken those so called genius's this long to realise that Max will fight till her last breath to keep you all safe. Or didn't you even realise that yet? I thought you're meant to be Max's flock and know her?" Ice looked up at everyone and observed there expressions and sighed.

"Okay ice try to cool down or shut it. Gem stop trying to think of ways to steal there telly, Talon go start the car, Stone you can map the way home. I'm already tired." Gem guiltily got up to stand by me as Talon took my bag off the floor and was about to head for the car.

"Well maybe next time you wont use so much energy. One of thee days you're going to kill yourself. You only woke up the other month, try to not be so much of an idiot. Listen to us from now on." Stone said glaring at me as I rubbed my head.

"Your lips keep moving and I keep hearing blah blah blah.. Shut up Stone before I hadn you to the scientists gagged and chained."

I was about to saunter out of that room when Talon grabbed me by the shoulders and scowled at me. "Just cause Blitz is gone doesn't mean you can do what the hell you like to join him. And if you keep it up we'll just lock you in your room and let Gem give you a makeover."

"Fine whatever can we go now." Because it was getting harder to leave with every glance at the flock. They all had sad looks on their faces. I knew they couldn't deal with the fact I had changed. They wanted Max back, but the Max they wanted was long gone, it wasn't me. I should've know I was just causing them pain by being here.

"You cant just leave Max. We haven't seen you for three years." Fang said as he looked at me. I made my eyes go blank and stare at him with dead eyes. I opened my mouth to hopefully say something to get the smitten lovesick look off his face. But Gem had been quiet for too long and she had to say something now, didn't she?

"Hey if you want to spend time with us, why don't you stay at our place we have plenty of room. It would be great cause it's just us four or only one of us half the time. It would be great and I really want to get to know you all like, I mean cause Ma has told us all stories about when she was with you and you all sound like a blast."

Before I could say she was stupid and we didn't have a room for everyone, and basically lie my butt off. The flock all agreed.

"Yeah totally."

"That would be great."

"I'm soooooooo up for that.""As long as Max doesn't cook anything I'll come."

"Sure."

"Yep I'm there."You get the point. But after basically everyone agreed I turned to Captain Perry, and Brigid. I didn't mind Perry so much but Brigid, I'm not sure, she still could be a traitor and she had a calculating look on her face. I didn't like that.

**A/N Tada what do you think? Well whatever you do review and let me know. Next chapter will be up soon. =D So yay I'm back. Lalalalalalala. HIT HE BUTTON!!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N I apologise for the wait but this will be my last update for a while, I will be working on my other two stories for a while especially since I'll be in hospital and I wont be able to keep up with all three. So review please and let me know what you think of this story and also I would appreciate if anybody has some suggestions for this, cause my original plot needs a lil something thrown in. So a lil help please!!! XD Thanks and enjoy. Also a lil warning but I do cuss in this chapter so heads up.**

Chapter 15

Fang's POV

We flew with Max through the sky. It had been so long since we had flown with a leader, and if I were to be honest, it had been a long time since we flew more than a few miles. From what Max had said we had already flown three hundred miles and had a hundred and fifty to go till we got to the house that her and her new flock had.

Ice was driving the car that was packed with our clothes, Total and Akila, Dr. Martinez and Ella, Max had made Gem go with them for two reasons, she didn't have wings and she wouldn't shut up. In a way Gem reminded me of Nudge, only Nudge didn't think of ways to steal practically everything, Gem could double as a world famous thief if she wanted.

We were all flying in a haphazard pattern, there was no formation at all. I wasn't at Max's side like I used to be, instead I could see Stone and Talon alternating from flying beside and underneath her. They half expected Max to fall out of the sky, they were trying to convince her to drive with the others, but as stubborn as always she wanted to do t opposite.

I looked at Max below me and the miles began to blur into minutes as I spent my time flapping my wings in a repeated pattern and just take in everything I had missed for four years or more. Her hair was longer and it was now more blonde with light golden brown tints streaking it like fire in the sun. She had grown taller and mummy curvier. Ahem. Her features seemed more defined and delicate yet she still had that Max kick-ass attitude. Sometimes her eyes that caught and held seemed a little disturbed, as though every minute haunting things would go through her mind. She was so much more beautiful than before. But I also noticed the scars. Four years ago she had a few fine lined scars here and there with the odd deep one scattered around. But now, it was like a roadmap, fine scars patterned around her temples and the base of her neck, deeper ones lined and criss-crossed her chest, arms and legs. Her tanned skin hid practically all of them, but I was paying such close attention I could see the horror of what had been done to her.

What had happened in the time we had been apart? Apart from her getting a boyfriend, a snide jealous part of me threw in to berate myself.

I shook my head, reminding myself she would take me back, she said so, I just needed to know how different she was from the old Max, accept it and tell her. I knew I still loved, nothing could change that even if she changed, I just had to convince her of that.

"Max you sure you don't want to land and take a break?" Talon asked as he flapped his huge black and brown speckled wings to hover on Max's level.

"No I'm okay, if we keep up at this pace we'll be at the house in twenty minutes, we're probably ahead of the others."

Talon frowned at her and Stone floated down next to them. "Right forget it, I'm telling you. You need to stop and take a break, normally you can fly like this for ages but you've just come out of a scarred mind, you need to take it easy."

"Screw taking it easy. Now I'm telling YOU, I'm fine and if you keep on yapping I'm going to sizzle your ass and leave you when I kick into hyper drive." Max snapped as she flapped her wings a little harder to get away from them.

I sighed and the rest f the flight was spent with Nudge rambling on to Angel about fashion and Talon and Stone grumbling about Max. After thirty minutes a house nestled on the side of a mountain came to view, it was surrounded by trees and we would've flown right over it if Max hadn't pointed down and began her decent. It was a huge three storey house, one of the rooms on the top floor had a ceiling made entirely out of glass and one of the panels was slid open. Max did a san dive into the room where I could see a blue double bed, a wardrobe and a lot of shiny silver metal weapons. As I was about to swoop down and join her, Talon literally grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me away, whilst still flying!

"Hey now, you don't go in there. That's Max's room. We go in by use of the front door."

THAT was Max's room. Trust her to have a ceiling made of glass, I wonder if she got changed in there, Maybe I should start taking early morning flights and maybe I might be lucky enough to fly over when she was……. _"FANG!!"_

I winced at Angels mental voice. _"Fang I'm still a little girl I will never be able to look at Max the same way if you keep thinking things like that!!"_

"_Sorry………" _I thought back to her watching her shake herself as she landed with a flustered look onto a wood deck patio. I cursed myself for being given normal teenage boy hormones. It wasn't my fault that Max had grown to look like a run way model with out all of the annoying girly-ness like worrying about breaking a nail.

There was a loud thump as Nudge landed behind me in a heap and knocked over a small table. "OMG!!! I broke a nail!" Nudge started jumping around in horror clutching her hand to her chest like she'd burnt it.

"I don't believe this." Iggy muttered walking into the house holding my belt loop.

"It's another Gem." Stone grumbled just as Gem ran out of the house with a purple box.

"It's okay! No body panic. I've got the manicure emergency kit. NUDGE! You're panicking chill out!!"

I shook my head as we walked into a pure white room that had corner sofas, plasma TV, games consoles, a long coffee table and bright white wall paper. It was so open, the sliding door that led to the patio was made out of a wall of glass, like Max's ceiling, and you could see the mountains and the sky in perfect scenery.

I did a double take realising that Gem should still be in a car driven by Ice. It made sense when I saw Ice sitting on the sofa flicking through channels with a very distressed looking Dr. Martinez just staring into space.

"Ice why are you here? It should've taken you around another hour to get here by road, what happened?" Stone asked as Talon walked into the kitchen that was separated from the room with a breakfast bar.

Ice shrugged her shoulders. "Gem bet me a twenty that I couldn't get here just before you, so I sped up a little so I could get the money. It aint no biggy."

Stone just shook his head and glared at her, turning to Dr. Martinez and helping her focus. I wasn't sure what to do, I didn't know where Angel was or Ella, I could see Gazzy and Iggy messing with a mess of wires in a corner and I think I could just about here Total talking, he must be with Akila.

I sat down and watched the telly as Ice continued to flick through channels obviously not finding anything she liked.

"Hey you guys hungry?" Talon shouted to everyone in the house.

Everyone said yes, including Angel as she walked down the stairs with Ella who also wanted food. Max cam down after them, she looked bored but I could see a slight frown on her face.

"Not for me Talon, I'm not hungry."

Everyone's heads turned to face her, her flock (or should I say old flock) looked shocked, but her new flock were glaring daggers at her. Including sweet Gem as she towed Nudge to the floor so she could work on her nails again.

"You should eat Max, I'll do you something as well." Talon said as Stone helped by getting piles of food from the cupboard.

"Max paused in her walk to the window and turned to stare blankly at him. "I said I don't want anything. I mean it, I feel off and I don't want to try anything. I'll eat later."

Now it was Stone who turned around to glare at her and spoke with anger in his voice. "You need to eat, like it or not I don't care, fuck the programmes the labs put you an when they tried to starve you, you're out and free so you're going to eat. For God's sake you used to eat like no tomorrow, Blitz wouldn't let you-"

He was cut off as a glass bowl on the coffee table flew across the room and smashed against the wall by his head, next the coffee table flew at him and he had to duck.

I looked back at Max to see her blank look gone. Instead it was replaced by a look of fury, hatred, anger and pain. Her fists was clenched her entire body was shaking. What the fuck?!?

"Blitz is dead, so what he would do or say doesn't matter anymore. I'm not hungry, my head is pounding and I'm barely in control as you can see. I'll take the tablets and crash for an hour or two, then I'll eat, otherwise the tablets wont work. So go fuck off, both of you. No one tells me what to do anymore, especially when I already say no." Her voice is scary when she shouts, but she spoke with a calm quietness that was even scarier than a high volume, it made shivers run down my spine and made everyone silent and still. Including Dr. Martinez who was trying to speak, only accomplishing to look like a gaping fish.

Max paid no attention as she grabbed a pill bottle from the cupboard and walked back upstairs slamming her bedroom door.

Ice got up and calmly started picking up the pieces of broken pieces of glass. "You shouldn't do that you know. She hates it and none of us have the right to dictate to her. And you really shouldn't pull that Blitz trick like you do."

Stone sighed "I know, but she doesn't take care of herself. It's like she wants to die, well at least not live, she just wont stop the attempts and fight dieing."

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked the million dollar question that was on all of our minds.

"It's hard to explain. It's mostly to do with what Max was put through, and what she's still going through. To really understand you'd have to see. If you want to, then let me know if you're prepared to watch something horrifying, more so that what you have already endured." Gem said in the slowest and dullest tone I'd heard her use so far.

We all looked at him unsure and confused, yet something in my head seemed to click.

"I'll see, whatever it is you want to show me."

My voice was clear, the others nodded their heads in agreement but still seemed hesitant.

Max said I couldn't love her anymore until I knew the new her, then that meant I would have to know what happened to her. No matter what it was, it wouldn't change my feelings, it would prove them to Max that I didn't care about anything, as long as I could be with her. Well, that's what I hoped it would show.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N kay here's a treat for you all. I felt bad for leaving it on a cliffy and I have a day home before I had to the hospital so enjoy this while I'm doped up on the anaesthetic. **

Chapter 16

I could hear the screams even with the door closed and the covers over my head. Which was why I didn't bother to try and block it, just laid on my bed with my eyes staring blankly out of my ceiling window. Not even taking notice of the sky that offered me my freedom. I knew what they were watching.

One of the tapes that the team had managed to snag from the labs, it was when the scientists were trying to recreate me, the tape was labelled Day 43. It was nearing the end of the programme, it was fifty days of pure hell, no, hell would probably be nicer than what I had to face. They tried to make me a ruthless, cold-hearted killer. They succeeded. But I didn't kill for them, they couldn't control me. And if I had my way they never will.

I could hear Nudge slightly crying as the images on the screen passed through the scene, there were more screams, then a voice I recognised as clearly as the sun. It made me sigh and close my eyes, behind my eyelids I relived the memories.

"_Get the fuck away from Max! Max get up! Shit I said stay the fuck aw-"_

_Blitz's voice was cut off as one of the Butcher's roughly gagged him. We had been captured a while back when we were trying to do a sneak mission and get some information without being caught. We failed on the not being caught part. When we were caught they put us in what they called the 'Recreation Programme.' I had been here for 43 days, they made me watch as they ruthlessly killed children for failing tasks, and I mean CHILDREN, of the ages between three to nine. Granted they were mutants like us but still kids for Christ's sake. What kind of people did that?! I was looking into the eyes of one of those people._

_My arms and legs were clamped down, sensory pads were glued all over my body. The monitors were everywhere, I should be afraid but the steady beating on the screen in tune with my heart was a reminder that I had lost my fear._

_There were people already strapped down on the steel tables all around me, they had been screaming just moments before, but now they were either deadly silent or moaning pitifully. That was what they were going to do to me. All of the experiments here had failed, no one was surviving, yet they thought somehow I would be different. The machine that was built around the metal slab I was lying on started up. I heard Blitz's muffled shout over the noise of the whirring mechanisms. _

_I found it absurd that my heart monitor was still a steady rhythm, I should be petrified and erratic. But I wasn't sure if I cared, death was death, even if I tried I couldn't stop it. So why not just accept it? Or was I a fool in losing my fear, was the fear what made me smarter and quicker because I was desperate to live. _

_The machine had a metal frame that branched out over me in a mock skeletal structure. Sticking out of the metal branches where what seemed to be a hundred steel needles, all pointing down, lined up with my flesh and the muscles and bones beneath it. As the machine warmed up the whizzing noise got louder as the needles began to rotate and then blur as they spun blindingly fast. Blitz tried to dive forward, to what to help I had no clue, but it took three more Butchers to restrain him seeing as he took out the other two before he was restrained and had his wrists clamped in chains._

_The white coats pressed a few buttons on the panel behind my head and looked down at me. I could only see his brown eyes seeing as he had one of those medical masks on. "If you fail in this you will die, and next we will try to retrieve the next grade mutants, your old flock Max, they will be put through this. I'm sure you don't want that, and neither do we in all honesty, so try to live and stay alive."_

_He pressed a button and the machine made a huge clunk as the metal frame began to lower. Whether or not it was my imagination, but I thought I could see the needles speed up in their deadly twirling dance. _

_When the needles where so close I could feel my skin vibrate from the force of the needle without it even touching. They needles didn't puncture my skin they were held steadily, like an axe waiting to be dropped, the ones that were placed around the temples of my skull where flicking my hair, damn this was going to hurt._

"_Are her signals and monitors okay no problem so far?" The scientist I hated behind me said._

"_Yes sir, she's in perfect condition. If she cant survive this I doubt anyone else can. Her readings are stable as well, not even an adrenaline rush of fear, she must be strong or foolish when she knows what we're about to do." That was the assistant who was at the bottom of the metal bed, he had a tray of needles, a few surgeon knives and other stuff I wasn't even going to bother contemplating about._

_I knew what was coming as I heard the scientist press the button again. I swivelled my eyes to the side, enough so I could lock them with Blitz's. He wouldn't turn away, especially when I had deliberately took his place, his deep green eyes shone at me with unshed anger fuelled tears, I tried to tell him with my eyes to look away. _

"_Commence recreation of bio structure." The scientist said and with a final push of the button the swirling needles closed that centimetre gap from my skin. My entire body was pierced at the same time, accentuating the pain of sharp hot stings a thousand times more stronger. Blitz shouted for me and as I felt the needles drill deeper pass my flesh and muscle, I couldn't stop the scream as the needles reached there goals. Hot pokers speared through my nerves and bones, it was so intense that my back arched up against the needles pushing them even deeper, it was involuntary, just as the scream that ripped through my throat was. I couldn't stop, not the screams, not the pain and not even the scientists as they pressed another button and the needles injected a liquid into my system. _

_I didn't know what they were trying to do, or what exactly it was that they were doing to me, I only knew that they wanted to create a weapon they could use on the ground, in the air and even in the water, if that was possible. They wanted a weapon that no one else had, one that only they could control._

"_Systems are stable, all readings are regular there's no abnormalities. She may just survive this sir?"_

_The liquid poured through my veins and seemed to spread through out me very bones. Then it began to tingle, then to sting, until it became a burning that mingled with the twirling needles into one unbearable agony that I couldn't escape._

_I felt so weak and my heart was beating so fast. I could here it beeping rapidly with my pulse. Then there where more deeper beeping noises, they seemed more urgent. My pulse pumped faster and red coloured my vision. I could hear Blitz still shouting muffled, the machine was still whirring, the scientists began shouting. Only it began to get duller, all of my senses of sight, touch, hearing, even the pain that was inside of me. Head lolled to the side as the last scream in me died down._

_I wasn't dead I knew that, but they would pay for what they had done to me, because that new power I had acquired when I left my flock behind, I had barred it behind mental blocks so deep that I never thought of it, but whatever they had just done had brought it back, bubbling to the surface, ready for me to burst. They were going to die. And I was going to do it. They wanted the weapon? They had it. Everything they wanted and worked for they were about to get. Except for one thing. They didn't control me, a cold merciless part of my mind, was in control. And right now I wanted blood._

My eyes snapped open as the speakers downstairs let out a huge boom as the image showed the lab room being disintegrated, A huge electrical current building and snapping out at everyone. Until Blitz shouted. "Max, stop it! I'm here, I'm here for you and I wont go. I promise."

Tears fell down my face at the recorded voice of a memory. No, he didn't leave and he pulled me back to my senses. The sounds of chaos died down and was then replaced by the sound of the scientists trying to regain control of the situation, till one of them shut the camera off.

No one said anything downstairs, I could hear sobbing and muffled cries. But no one could really find words to speak. I quickly and quietly walked out of my room and down the stairs. Wiping away the evidence of tears as I did, replacing my face with a cold mask of anger.

I stormed into the room and ripped the video out of the TV throwing it against the wall and turning to glare at Stone and Talon. "They didn't need to see that." I snarled.

Stone looked away with saddened eyes. Talon squared up to me. "You want your family back, even if you wont admit it. They need to understand and this is the only way they can. Besides you could have turned that off at the very beginning, so why didn't you?"His bold question brought up my own unanswered questions inside me. I couldn't answer, how could I when I had no answer? Instead I took no notice of the room and did what I Maximum Ride do best. I took off flying at hyper speed through the skies. Just as the day began to end and the sun to set. I didn't look back, if I did I was afraid I would break. And I had tried to be so strong for so long, I needed to hang on a little longer.

But could I??

**A/N a quick thank you for all of the reviews and hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if there's any mistakes. Please review again pleeeeeaaaaaaaassssssssseeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! =]**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Sorry for the long wait but here's the next chapter hope you all enjoy it! X)**

Chapter 17

I didn't go back that night, or the next. I guess you could say I was having and emo depressive mood. I was sat in one of the biggest trees I'd ever seen, so high it was like flying whilst sitting, they wouldn't come after me. At least my new flock wouldn't they knew I needed time on my own just out in the wilds, free. So many people lived with freedom, I mean sure your parents told you what to do, their were rules to obey in society, but you're still free. You can make your own choice to go to school or not, you may get in trouble if you don't but it's still your choice.

With me, well….it seemed all if not most of my choices had been forced or taken from me. My choice is to keep my family safe, protect them no matter what, but when everything means I have to do just that, is that even giving me a choice? I wasn't sure anymore. The only thing I knew was I was alive and as long as I remained so I would give those white coats hell till the day I died. And even after that I would haunt them. Yeah my thoughts seemed depressing.

I climbed to my feet and walked out onto the edge of the thick branch I'd been staying on. The grey clouds were clearing up and the strong winds had died down. I shook my wings out freeing them from the hanging drops from the rain storm that had started just after I left the house.

With a blank mind yet also cluttered, I flew steadily back to the house at a normal speed. It took around three hours for me to fly to the house. By the time I got there it appeared that everyone was still in bed, which made sense when I looked at the clock in the kitchen and it said 7.00am.

I made breakfast quietly. A bowl of cereal and an apple. Nice and simple and healthy. I grabbed my food and sat on the sofa eating. The pile of videos by the TV caught my attention. Putting my bowl down and keeping the spoon clenched between my teeth I picked the videos up. My mind screamed in rebellion as I read the labels on them. They were all clearly marked. _Day1 _all the way till _Day 48. _I wouldn't give them the last two tapes, they were too gruesome and horrible for me to show to anyone. And in all honesty it was embarrassing to show others how weak and vulnerable the scientists had made me.

I dropped the videos back to where I found them and carried on eating my breakfast. By the time someone came down the stairs I was spread across the couch scraping the apple core with my teeth.

"Bloody hell!" Stone's voice rocked the house and his foot slipped on one of the steps causing him to tumble down the stairs.

There was a huge commotion as everyone rushed out of bed and downstairs. I got up to reassure everyone everything was okay but the minute I stepped near Stone who was slowly picking himself of the bottom step I was tackled so hard I was thrown backwards into the back of the sofa, over it and into the wall with shelves where everything crashed down on me.

"SHIT! Talon that's Max!"

When all of the falling debris had stopped I dragged myself to my feet and smiled sweetly at my family and friends in front of me. I smiled extra sickly sweetly at Talon, causing him to flinch.

"I'm so dead. Max I'm sorry." Talon said as he helped Stone to his feet.

"You cant be dead she's smiling. OMG! Max you're back!" Nudge squealed as first her then the Gem tackled me in a hug. This time I held my ground.

"What do you mean she's going to kill you? She's smiling. Obviously she's forgiven you." Ella said in a no-duh voice.

"That's just it though. When Max smiles she's either after revenge, or the apocalypse is coming." Talon said in a nearly shaky voice, backing up a few steps.

I smiled and winked at Gem causing her to giggle and run upstairs saying she was going back to bed.

Everyone carried on as normal quietly chatting and making breakfast. I sat on the windowsill just watching everyone. I f I closed my eyes I could almost imagine I was in a normal home with a normal family.

Everyone was avoiding me but still throwing me cautious and grateful glances. Who knew what they thought about me after watching those damned videos. They probably I was more of a freak than I already was.

A dark shadow fell on me and I smiled slightly as I raised my head to see familiar dark eyes. Fang nudged my legs aside so he could sit next to me.

"Hey." He said barely above a whisper.

"Hey back at ya." I replied.

"So where'd you go?"

"Just a tree." I said with a smirk.

"I missed you, you know. I was worried you wouldn't come back. I was angry you left. And after seeing those videos I'm beginning to understand you. But I still don't like it when you leave like that, so try not to do it again."

My eyes snapped at him. What happened to Word Answers Only? I never knew he had a dialogue. He couldn't understand, no one could. He was just feeding me more lies, just like everyone did. They may not know they're lying, but its still a lie. No matter how much my heart wants me to be that little bird kid again and would do anything to jump back into his arms. But that wouldn't help. I had to be strong. I mustn't forget. Never forget! The reason why I left that first time, when I woke up in that hospital. I was a danger to my flock, my family, my very reason for existing.

"And why would that be Fang?" I said in a indifferent tine pretending to be interested in the t.v. show Gazzy had stuck on.

"Because I care. I always have and I always will. Even if you don't want me to." His dark voice held a promise, a promise that drew my gaze again. Only this time when I looked into his eyes I didn't feel like I was connecting, I felt like I was drowning. And I was leaning forward, so was he. I couldn't pull back, even if I wanted to.

Gem cam dashing down the stairs waving a parcel and small piece of paper.

"I done it, I done it. I sold them all for $400!" She sang as she tossed me the heavy parcel and paper slip.

"What you sell?" Stone asked bored.

"Oh nothing," I said innocently plastering on a sickly sweet smile in Talon's direction. "Just talons entire My Family DVD collection on Ebay." I said and legged it the minute realisation flashed across his face and he leapt up after me.

I threw myself out the door and into the sky, being followed closely by Talon, before starting to kick into my hyper speed.

"Never underestimate my revenge!" I shouted back at Talons cursing.

I laughed, he had spent ages searching for the DVD collection, he would find another set again, but this was still my revenge. I was thankful for Gem interrupting me and Fang when she did. Who knows what would have happened. Even worse, who knows how I would've reacted. What I'd have done.

Shuddering at the thought I glanced down at the address on the paper slip and flew in the direction of whoever was benefiting from my revenge I should be back by night time. I thought laughing to myself.

**A/N sorry for the short chapter but this was just a filler and a slight insight to how Max and Fangs relationship is changing. Next chapter will be in fangs POV so theres something to look forward to. Should be up in a week but no promises since I'm busy with work and my exam. Also my boyfriend is feeling neglected but he can wait haha X)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N sorry this has taken so long but I'm finding that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take on 9, however I will persevere. And in other news only a few more weeks till Summer Vaca so woop woop!**

Chapter 18

Fang POV

The sweet scent of lavender filled my nostrils and actually made my eyes twitch. I glared at Nudge who was going around lighting up every incense stick that was around the living room. I was sitting on the sofa with the Gasman, Iggy had fallen asleep halfway through. Angel had gone to bed and Gem and Ella were doing each others nails. The others, I had no clue where they had gone, somewhere near by. Either way I was staying up till Max got back. I wouldn't sleep till I knew she was safe here. She took off only minutes after she had returned I'd asked her to never do it again. I knew she wasn't running away like the first time, but it still struck me deep that she had left so easily. I needed to get use to this new Max, I would convince her that I would love her no matter what she did. Because she obviously didn't believe that was possible.

"Ooooh here's another pack of incense sticks, it says its Ocean Scented. How can you get ocean scented things? Does it smell really salty? Or is there another smell for the ocean, like something we don't know? How do they get it on a stick, why do we have to burn it and its like smoke? I wonder what other scented incense sticks there are? Hey that's why it's called incense, it sounds like scent, you know as in the sense you use to smell, and that's what they're for you sme-"

"Thank you Iggy." I sighed in relief as the short silence lasted.

Iggy left his hand on Nudges mouth, he'd caught her as she walked past his chair, don't know how he landed on the target precisely but he did, and I was thankful for it. "I was having a lovely dream of exploding School's and I wake up to this long high pitched chattering. I may be blind but I can _hear._ I have sensitive ears and I cant take this when I'm half asleep." Iggy complained like a proper grandma, all he needed was a gray wig and a pair of knitting needles.

Whilst Nudge and Iggy argued about the need for silence and speech, I looked to the doorway where footsteps were coming from.

"Holy frickin' mackerels, I've just gone down to our friendly neighbourhood hacker and he says the labs are starting to get operational again and have quite a few major projects going. Anyone know what we should do?" Ice asked in a dull, calm and steady voice.

"Yeah we sit back and wait for Max to get back." Stone said in a reasonable voice. "She'll be back soon and she'll come up with a plan."

"I hope she flies into a plane." Talon muttered from the kitchen.

"Is this what normally happens?" I asked in a casual voice. Pretending that I wasn't entirely interested.

"Not really." Ice said as she sat down on the sofa and took a slice of pizza off the plate Dr. Martinez brought in from the kitchen where Stone was trying to talk sense into a ranting Talon. "Normally we all leave after a couple of weeks, live in a flat or something, have a little job and live a normal life. Max is the one who stays here and monitors the labs and the loopy scientists. She says she cant live a normal life, so she focuses on keeping the school and the experiments down. We check in on her now and then, but she goes off for weeks on her own, she sometimes just disappears entirely. A few years ago we saved this kid from being taken by the school, he's an awesome computer genius. Can hack into anything with a microchip. Ever since then, he's lived in a comfy apartment with his girlfriend, and kept an eye on the laboratory mainframe. Even manages to get into a few of their satellites. It makes it a whole lot easier to keep track on what they're doing. He gives us the information we need. Then we bite the School's and labs in the butt. Not literally though."

That was probably the most I had heard Ice speak, but she still looked bored and calm. As if what she had said was a description about her walk in a park.

"Oh, well, that's interesting." Dr. Martinez said, sort of at a loss for words as we all looked at Ice.

Tiny little footsteps rushed down the stairs and then Angel was running into the living room in her pink nightie with Total in her arms. "I can hear Max, she's back, she'll be here in a few minutes."

Angel more or less danced to the sofa and sat on the sofa edge next to me. The others all looked to the door expectantly. Ice, Stone, Talon and Gem looked up at the ceiling. I frowned and moments later I heard a little thump, in one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Light footsteps began to tap down the stairs and Max appeared whilst counting out notes of money in her hands.

"Hey Max." Angel said sweetly.

"Hey hun, give me a minute will you." Max said as she silently counted again. Max pocketed a small amount of money and handed the rest to Gem. "Make sure that goes into your savings account I set up for you." Max smiled and winked at Talon. He just flipped her the bird.

"I suggest you learn by your mistakes Talon. Right then so what have I missed?" Max scooped Angel up in her arms and sat down in her spot, next to me, as she cradled Angel close. A lightly wrapped my arm around her waist, I couldn't resist I needed to touch her, after all these years I needed to make sure that she was real.

As Ice told Max about the hacker and what he had found out I observed Max, she had a calm mask on her face, she took everything in and I could see she was calculating everything. Her dark brown eyes pulled me in and I got lost easily in her beauty, her lips were pursed in a delicate pout, her hair was slightly damp and hand a windblown look, the blonde streaks stood out emphasising the light brown tone of it. She looked more grown up than I ever thought she would, curves in all the right place, but still a tall, strong body, my eyes followed down the delicate slope of her neck. She tilted her head to the side slightly and I could just about see the ends of a black line, like ink, a tattoo. It set off a warning bell in my head. And as the pieces in my head clicked together Max was standing up to take a sleeping Angel to bed.

"We'll all get a good nights rest tonight and tomorrow we'll go and see the hacker, get some more info and then we'll devise a plan to take down the labs. Night." Max carried Angel with ease and even gave Gazzy a light kick reminding him to go to bed after his movie.

I followed up the steps. I needed to catch Max before she went to bed. I had only seen black ink on experiments before, more specific, on the dieing erasers, it was when they got their expiration dates. Had Max gotten hers? Did she know? Was she hiding it? Or was she completely oblivious? If we caught it early maybe we could stop? How lond did she have? I needed to see the rest of it. I wasn't going to lose her. Nit now, I would do everything in my power to stop that.

**A/N kay sorry for the long wait people hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will start taking requests for characters if you want to be included in my story, its fun and I enjoy it, leave me a review with your name and a little bit about you that I can use in my story and if you want to be a good guy or a bad guy, or in between, experiment or human. Anyway till the next chapter which will be up in a week or two take care.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Sorry its been a while but I've been working non stop all week so now I have a break to type up a few of my stories hope you enjoy this chapter XD**

Chapter 19

I was walking out of Angels bedroom when all of a sudden a arm grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into the corner by one of the windows. I was going to sucker punch whoever dared to sneak up on me, and I was pretty shocked that they had even managed to sneak up on me, huh I must be losing my touch, but I felt a familiar face press into my back as he pulled me to his chest just hugging me.

"What's the matter Fang?" Maybe he was mad that I had left out of the blue. If he didn't like it tough, it was who I was now, I had to leave at times, it was an impulse that I couldn't control either he put up with it or he could leave. I ignored the fact that the thought of him leaving made a familiar emptiness ache in my heart. I slammed a shield on my emotions. I didn't need to feel longing for anyone, I could take care of myself.

"I just need to see….." His voice trailed off as he leaned back and ran a hand across the hair on the back of my neck and slowly pulled it aside. I could feel his breath hitch in his chest and his hand trembled slightly. Now I was annoyed.

I spun around to glare at him pulling my hair out of his grasp with a whip of my head. "What is your problem? And I thought I had trouble relaxing, you're acting like a schizophrenic, take a deep breath will ya? If your beat up cause I left sorry, but go when I want to go, if you want to be with me then get use to the new Max." Those were some pretty strong words, I thought dimly. His eyes had fire in them and it looked like he was biting his tongue, seriously what was his case? He seemed to have changed from the silent emotionless rock I had once left, or was I just seeing him differently because I had changed?

Ugh my head hurt, I wasn't meant to be a thinker, I just act when I feel like it, things seem to work out better that way, mostly…. Normally….. Well…. Sometimes.

"Max, just let me look…" Fang reached out for the back of my neck again, roughly shoving my hair aside and pulling my head forward so he could tilt his head to the side and look at.

"What? To look at my neck? Make some sense Fang why would you look at the back of my neck?" Did he know? Good lord he must know, he must be mad as well, he shouldn't be but you never know maybe it just made him angry.

His eyes flashed at me. "Do you know what's there?"

"What the heck are you on about? Of course I know what's there, who do you think decided to get it?" I asked in a no-duh voice.

His eyes widened in what I'm guessing is shock. "Why the hell would you get an expiration date deliberately?" His enraged voice whispered across the darkness to me and my brain clicked. Oh hell, we had both gotten the wrong end of t stick here.

"Fang it's not an expiration date and if it was, I assure you it's take a lot more than some ink on the back of my neck to kill me. I say when not some coded numbers." I rolled my eyes and sat down on the window seat by us, soon chuckles came out of my throat quietly and I was laughing in my scary way, as Gem calls it. If Blitz could only see this now….. I could hear his deep chuckle as he held me close.

"If its not an expiration date then what is it?" Fang asked a less worried but curiosity still burned in his gaze.

"It's a memorial tat, I got it when Blitz died. It helped me grieve and I'll also remember him always." I said it without emotion, waiting for him to explode at me because of such a silly thing.

"May I see it?" He asked with a raised hand.

Silently I turned around and pulled my hair up out of the way. I could still see the image clearly in my mind. Simple in black and grey fading colours, a delicate rose with a thorn stem, it was Blitz had always compared me to, and wrapped around the rose was a flowing banner and on that banner, was his experiment number. He actually enjoyed his, he had made it into a warning, whenever he was going after someone he would leave a message like they would find the numbers written on a piece of paper by their bed, or the numbers would be keyed into the side of their car. Numerous ways he did it, it was a cruel thing to do, but the people deserved it, it was all part of the game, part of him. And that was one of the parts of him I had fallen in love with. The man who had turned his own fear into others peoples nightmares, the ability to lose your fear and in a way use it to your advantage. I wish I could do that.

I felt Fangs fingers trace over the pattern at the base of my neck. I felt his breath rush out in a sigh. Heat fanned my neck. "I got a glimpse of the numbers, didn't see the banner or nothing, and I was afraid. I thought it was the numbers of a expiration date, I thought you would die. He must've….meant a lot to you."

I closed my eyes and stilled the rapid thoughts inside me. "He was….. But he's dead and you cant bring the dead back, even if you could it would be wrong. You live, you die, and the everyone grieves, its cruel to make someone feel death twice and cruel to make other grieve twice as well. He lived his life for what he wanted, he was happy when he died, and I'm happy living my life."

I walked away from Fang. I should have stayed and spoke a bit more explained more about myself, Blitz, our past, MY past. But I just wanted to be alone. I wanted to rest up because I knew we were going to see the hacker tomorrow. Common sense and logic told me I needed to rest because something big was happening, even if a rashness wanted me to spen the entire night talking to Fang. Logic won out in the end because I couldn't kid myself, since I had left the Flock, I had changed, and I knew what into. I was a cold, merciless killer. Sometimes I made a mistake and an innocent died, but I killed whether the person was bad or deserved it or not, didn't matter it was still wrong. And I had stopped myself from feeling a long time ago. I ran on logic and sense not emotion, I felt that if I let myself feel again for my family, for Fang, I wouldn't be able to carry on doing what I was doing. And I could stop. I had to keep fighting. Because everyone's life would be in danger if I didn't. And I would lose them… like Blitz. Morbidly, I thought of how many tattoos I could fit onto my body.

**A/N Sorry its short and that its been awhile but I've been at work everyday for the past week or so and I'm so exhausted I haven't felt like typing much. I am working hard on the next chapter and hopefully I'll get it up soon. Sorry for the delay, and FYI the tattoo's link is on my profile if ya wana check it out. XD **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N OMG! I am so sorry! I've had this file up on my laptop for a while but I haven't been in the country or anywhere near this thing. So sorry I haven't updated but I was in Australia visiting relatives, I thought they were going to kidnap me LOL so sorry for the wait and I will start updating more, I'll work on these nearly everyday that's a promise! Forgive me here are cookies and a longish chapter. Luv you my lovely readers/reviewers.**

Chapter 20

I sat on top of the sky scraper a few blocks away from the sixteen storey apartment building ahead of me. I was crouched and holding onto the strips of metal that zigzagged all over the place. Fang, Angel and Stone were with me. The others were all scattered on the streets, we were the aerial watch. Our friendly neighbourhood hacker had sent us a coded message asking for help.

Gem had screamed for us when she had received the text message. _'Wings beat strongest on the wind.' _We all knew that you only send that message if you're life is in danger. SO I was kitted out in my cool butt kicking attire. Ripped black jeans and a grey vest top with silver netting over it.

My wings were permanently slightly spread, ready for action and my mind was running over a hundred miles an hour. I knew the labs were up to something. Our hacker had been working on infiltrating certain satellite signals that we knew they were using, obviously things were getting hotter and the labs had find out. Now we were heading into a war zone. Which was just what we needed in Washington DC, with the Lincoln Memorial in flipping sight.

I took note of everything straight ahead of me was the apartments, behind that the memorial, behind that the tidal basin, behind that Pentagon. If what I thought was happening I'd get back up off the government to confuse the situation.

"So what you think Max, trap?" Stone asked with a bright laugh.

"Hell yeah, Flick wouldn't set us up but they probably know he's signal us. Lets not forget he has his baby brother and sister with him."

"So if it's a trap, we're not going in are we..?" Angel asked uncertain.

"If it's a trap Angel, we don't want to disappoint our audience. They've gone through so much trouble." I grinned with all thoughts going through my head.

"That makes no sense, you'll get caught." Fang. So simple and straight to the point.

"Nope, correction they are going to TRY and catch me, they aren't going to succeed however. Oh and we are seriously going to kick their butts. Everyone in position?" I glanced at Stone as he spoke briefly into the Bluetooth curved over his ear. He nodded his head and in silence I leaned out too much so that I fell off the skyscraper and flew out above the thriving city. I clocked the cars and people, flew higher into cloud cover so I wouldn't be easily seen, I swerved the long way around from the roads to avoid any cameras that might catch my image. Hesitantly Angel and Fang followed Stone brought up the back.

I had been against the flock coming on this mission, but when they persisted I let them, they seemed shocked that I had given in, I had just simply tuned my mind to search for a more effective option that would keep them out of harms way the most, but they would come in handy. Yet at the same time one part of my brain was observing, another was planning tactics, another was preparing, another was throwing around sarcastic comments about having Fang at my side again and the rest was building an electrical storm in my mind, that was slowly leaking out into the weather around me. Time to bring hell down on these bad guys. I heard Stone mumble something into the Bluetooth.

As we came closer to the building I counted twelve windows across on the tenth floor. The curtains were drawn shut. I bulleted myself straight through the window without a hesitation, a spurt of my speed had me straightening in the middles of the room as glass rained down the window as Fang, Angel then Stone entered after me. I took in the scene around me with a grin.

"Well well, looks like we're crashing a party here guys."

My voice was cheery but my gaze was hard as I stared at Rip who was clutching a four year old, red haired, green eyed, freckled and dimpled little girl. He looked as though I had just interrupted as he was about to strike her. A dark haired eight year old sat in the corner nursing what looked like a broken arm. His green eyes were brimmed red with tears but they also held defiance as he glared at Rip. Against the wall were four Butchers holding up a slumping red head, his hair was spiked all over the place like he'd stuck his finger in a socket, his red rectangle glasses were at a slant and he had bruises, cuts and burns all over him. He was still grinning at me like an idiot though. Sketch had put up a good fight. By the door that lead to the hallway of the apartments were two more Butchers.

"Max, what a pleasure it is." Rip began. His sickly grey wings extended behind him, his teeth that were filed down to sharp points flashed at me as he grinned, his corded muscles peeked through his ripped jeans and ripped white shirt. His nails were rugged, dirty and longer than average, I knew they felt like razors digging into your skin. His dull brown/gray hair was as messy as his attire, and I swear the murkiness of his brown gaze had evil grinning in it. Well, golly gosh, I had missed this bugger.

"Rip! Long time no see!" I raised my arms in a hug as if I was going to embrace an old friend, my voice was happy and my smile was radiant. But don't get me wrong I was VERY happy.

In a flash the entire scene changed, I dove at Rip, throwing my fists out to his abdomen knocking him back, Stone went for the four Butchers clutching Sketch, as Sketch stumbled to his knees Stone was already knocking out the Butchers. He had earned his name for a reason, his fists were as hard as stone, in fact I reckon a rock would be less effective.

Angel helped the two children get out of the way and kept any other Butchers from getting too close with her mind power thingy. Fang went for the two snarling Butchers as the charged over from the doorway.

I was laughing to myself as Rip kicked me in the chest so that I banged into the table and wall. This was a world I understood. I ducked out from under his fist, through my elbow at his cracked ribs to break them, he threw an uppercut at my jaw that lifted me off my feet and slammed me back into the wall again. I burst out laughing as he slammed his visits to my ribcage, his hands convulsed and I felt his fists unclench so that his knuckles could bite into my flesh.

"You gotta do better than that Rip." I whispered into his ear. I clutched his shoulders and brought me knees up and kicked him with all my force sending him skidding to the floor, across the other side of the room. Screech's were heard form downstairs, I knew then that Ice, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Gem had taken out the rest of the Butchers and bad guys. Hell who knows what they had sent after us, but heck I wasn't that stupid. Of course I knew they had backup waiting downstairs and throughout every floor, that was what made it a trap.

I walked over to Rip and ripped the bleeping computer monitor out of its socket and dumped it on his head. He grunted and his movements were slow as he struggled to get up. My attention returned to the rest of the room and I saw Fang helping Stone drop the last Butcher to the floor. I crouched down to Sketch.

"Hey, you okay? Listen did you get the backup?" I tapped his cheeks lightly to draw his attention to me.

He had a nasty gash on his head and I thought he was lolling his head, not actually nodding a yes to my question until he held up the memory stick that hung around his neck. And mumbled two words. "Got it."

I nodded his head and hoisted him up with my arm wrapped securely around his waist. I nodded to Stone as he walked over to the window and uttered quickly into the earpiece. We worked in silence but Angel and Fang looked anxious to ask questions.

"Fang you'll need to take Rip fly over the Lincoln Memorial straight ahead of us and drop down behind it, there's a celebration or something going on over there so it should be easier to hide." I turned to the two kids who were watching their brother warily. "Lou, Carrie, do you remember me." Lou nodded his head and Carrie cuddled my waist and started crying, good if they trusted me it would be easier. I let Fang take Rip off my hands and scooped Carrie up into my arms, Stone hoisted Lou so he could clutch his neck.

SO far so good, we would all meet up at the Lincoln Memorial, leave a distraction for the Labs minions then find Talon who was waiting with Dr. M and Ella in the 4X4.

One by one, we threw ourselves out of the window. Carrie clung tighter to me and my super hearing picked up the sound of a grunt and cursing.

"Stone we have to get these kids out of here, Rip's going to be mad as hell and you know he hates kids." I warned as we flew faster.

Our expressions were grim and I could hear the commotion of traffic, it was early afternoon and the sun was shining bright, people were heading home from work and the celebration at the Lincoln Memorial was in full swing if the music I could from this far was anything to go by. We needed some storm clouds in the sky, I let my mind slip a bit and immediately the air charged and clouds started to brew darker and bigger like a witches cauldron, very far off I could hear the rolling sound of thunder. I focused on building a storm high up so that I could direct it down to the ground when I needed it. Flying over the Presidents park with the Washington Monument growing bigger and closer, the rest of our group joined us in flight, they had a few scrapes and bruises, but they were fine in total, Gem was being carried by Ice and she was watching the ground before us as she tried to count how many blue cars she saw out loud. That was the best thing about Gem, she was still an innocent child enjoying live even in the roughest of times.

"36,5,3,2, OMG I started counting backwards, what number was I on? Max…Is Rip meant to be following us and getting really close?" Gem asked in a blasé voice.

I glanced over my shoulder where Carrie had her head buried. Damn Rip had gotten faster in his recovery, he looked mad and even worse, I could see guards and more inconspicuous experiments running in the streets and I'm certain the black armoured cars mounting the pavement and causing havoc were full with more. They really didn't care if they made a scene.

Well there went my brilliant plan not to draw attention to us, looked like getting as much attention as we could would be the best distraction I could get at the moment. "Forget the plan of staying out of sight and hiding, land on the ground when you can and run to Talon at the side of the Lincoln Memorial. Get Sketch and the kids in the car, split into two groups and those of you who can fly get the hell out of here." Well that was hopefully my brilliant plan that was going to save us. I had to keep these kids away from Rip though, the last time he had got a hold of a child when he was angry he had more or less turned the poor thing into ribbons, he made me and Blitz watch.

I passed Carrie to Iggy and swooped low over the crowd, drawing most of the attention to me as I came around the front of the Washington monument. In front of me was a huge strip of mirror like water, ahead of that was the Lincoln Monument and carelessly parked in the shadow by the side was the 4X4.

I heard a curse and knew without a doubt that Rip had followed me instead of tailing after the others. I ignored the screams the inquiries if this was part of the celebration, the flashing of cameras, the pointing fingers and the music stopping all of a sudden.

I flew straight over the reflective pool, using its mirror like surface to see exactly where Rip was behind me, I slowed slightly clutching my side, pretending like I was wounded and weakening. He surged forward with glee and his hand brushed my back. Immediately I dropped down, barely seeing as people ran out of the way of revving engines as vehicles pulled ungracefully onto the grass and pathways. The water surrounded me and I beat my wings so I could swim through the water as though I was flying. I stayed ahead of Rip as he looked down intently at the water looking for me, all he could see was everything's reflection looking back at him.

As he turned his head as someone shouted something to him I saw an evil glint in his eye. Now was my time to act. I came out of the water the same time I threw my energy out into the sky bring the clouds down on a turbulent wind, looking more and more like huge hurricanes than actual clouds. I tackled Rip from behind and the crowd cleared so we could land in a patch of clearing. Rip threw me off him and straight away I could see Butchers and Merks get ready to attack. Merks were definitely experiments gone wrong, they had no eyes but the skin where the eyes were meant to be was stitched closed, lines were etched into their faces to their large pointed ears. A deep line that ran down there chin allowed there bottom jaw to open in two, it all reminded me of parts of a movie. They could only communicate through high pitched sounds, they had four fingers that were like claws, and their strength was as strong as the their thirst for blood, I think I read somewhere that they had Tasmanian devil and vampire bat mixed in with human as well as other genetics. As much as a failure as they were they were very handy at causing chaos and destroying an enemy.

I pulled some of the energy from the sky down with my mind and immediately thunder sounded the same minute lightning snapped at the creatures getting closer to me. I made certain to make sure there was no spill of energy from my mind so no one else would get hurt. I directed my attacks specifically at the experiments around me as I searched for Rip with my eyes. I channelled rush of wind cleared away some of the creatures that were annoying me, some people were screaming and running away (the smart thing to do) others were stood there either in fascination or horror but with a camera in there hands, obviously technology was going to be the humans downfall. I even heard some kid say 'I am so putting this up on YouTube, can you imagine how many hits this'll get!'

A scream tore through the air and my attention riveted to the makeshift stage that had been set up in front of the Lincoln Memorial. There were some suspicious looking men standing on the edge with guns drawn and what looked like a tall brown skinned man in the middle. Hell, it couldn't be could it? I glanced at the banner that was strapped to the front of the stage. It read WELCOME OBAMA! In the American colours. Oh yippee the recently elected president was here to see this display.

MY gaze found Rip standing on the stage with a squirming Carried held in his hard hands. I could see the others rushing around the corner of the Lincoln Memorial, probably b=going to try to kill Rip before I tear his flipping head off.

"Maximum Ride!" His voice echoed over the speakers through the mic he was speaking to. He voice seemed to still everyone and silence descended on the area, all except for the constant muffled rumble of the clouds as my mind prepared the storm. "Are you trying to be a hero Max? I know you're a monster, but you try to hide it from everyone else, but to be a hero you have to be a monster so which is it?"

I ignored his taunting and focused on Carrie as she struggled her feet kicking above the ground by two feet, her jaw would definitely have bruises in the shape of Rips hand where he held her so cruelly. That little smirk on his lips was the same he had right before he gave the order for Blitz to be killed. In front of me.

"Well, lets see Max. You have a choice. Always a choice. Kill me and be a hero, or save her and be a hero? But which of these will make you a monster!" Rip shouted as he tossed Carrie aside with inhuman strength.

Ignoring the shouts and scream I threw myself low over the ground, pumping my wings with hyper speed so I could get to Carrie as she landed on the road that was part of the roundabout that circled the Lincoln Memorial. She landed on her hands and knees scraping them, I saw her mouth open in a cry but all I could hear was this loud rumble. It wasn't from the clouds. As I landed on the ground at her side and scooped her into my arms, the blare of the horn got louder as the cement truck came barrelling down on us. There was no way I could get out of the way in time!On instinct I threw everything I had in my mind, the sky, the air around me at the damn thing. Carrie screamed and pandemonium and panic was erupting everywhere as the storm high in the sky came down to earth, mini tornados and fire tornados and water tornados as the wind channels connected with the water and earth around us. I tried to hold to thought in my mind that only the Merks, Butchers and Rip were to be touched by what was coming down in a form of hell on earth, yet try and pull some of that energy in to protect me and Carrie. Everything blocked out except for the screech of metal and the horn still constantly blaring. My wings folded forward around us, blocking the sight of the non-stopping truck coming at us. Only a few feet separated us and only a few seconds lasted of this, yet it seemed to go sloly that I could feel each heartbeat could last an eternity. The sight was erased by brown and white wings and I held Carrie tighter in my arms. Hiding her eyes from the sight of death was coming full force at us.

**A/N Ooooooh a cliffy! XD hehe so what do you think. Next chapter should be up next week and if you read any of my other stories they will be updated shortly, I know how it feels when something you like isn't updated for ages so I am going to try and fix that. Also Good day mate to my fellow Wallaby and Koala. Say hiya!**

**Wallaby and Koala: Gud day! XD =P**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N I am so sorry everyone, I have only updated a few of my stories and the time gap has been really big. I can only say I am sorry and it's because things aren't going really well. It's hard to believe but quite a few of my family members are ill and need me. You have all been so patient and I hope that my hiatus hasn't made many of you abandon this story. I am now starting to get back into this and I should be updating more frequently. Again so sorry and hope you enjoy this.**

Chapter 22

Max POV

The sound of metal crunching was deafening, my entire body shook with the effort of holding up the mental force. A blazing trail of fire wrapped around the cylinder of the truck, traced the tyres and melted them. Solid blocks of water rose and dragged Merks and Butchers into their depths, holding them and finally ending them. I pulled in the wind flattening the air around me, the force of it sent metal skittering around, debris fluttered away like a feather being buffeted by the wind. A searing pain cut through my left wing and spun me.

The warm feather embrace I held us in shattered as landed on the floor, Carrie screamed in my arms, I wrapped my arm around her and did my best to act as a human shield. Viewing everything in my mind and conducting each event with precision. Something heavy landed on my right leg, pinning it, when I turned to look at it, distracted for a single second as I used some extra force to fling the jagged front piece of the truck away form us, I missed the quick movement to my left as I stood back up.

I had the intention of slowly cutting off the storm I had created. The waters calmed as the dead bodies floated and sank, the fires dwindled to a crisp slowly as flames were suffocated to ashes. I started drawing the wind up, up into the sky pushing away the gathered clouds and dissipating them.

Carrie seemed to scream even louder, I opened my mouth to reassure her, even as my mind slowly cut itself off from my body, sending sharp pains shooting threw my entire being. A white light shot through my shoulder. I fell to my knees, not sure what had happened. My arms fell numb and I dropped Carrie. The storm stopped entirely in a blink of an eye. The screams of people seemed unnaturally loud even as they quieted.

The dust settled and the haze of madness faded. I could see Fangs face, wrought with horror as he ran towards us. The others were there, they were coming. I wonder why they were all so worried. I felt wet drops run down my arm, I glanced at my shoulder and saw a metal tip peering out, close to my heart really. Something sharp was in the back of me.

As everything started fading out, Rip leaned over to sneer at me. Batting Carrie away with a cruel hand.

"You want to be a hero? Fine, see how long that lasts. In the end, they'll only throw you away, they're no better than the scientists who wanted to use you, because Max, they will use you as well. Until there's nothing left." Grinning he swooped down to kiss my lips roughly, then he jumped into the air and beat his grey wings, mocking laughter filled the air.

"MAX!"

"Max?"

"Max?"

"Maaaaaaaaaaxxxx!"

_Max_

It seemed so many people were calling my name, it was all a white noise. I felt my world shift and I slumped to the side, hitting the ground. There were flashing lights in the distance, people in uniform, people with cameras, people still running, crying. The only people I cared about where the ones who flocked around me.

"Max, just stay still, we'll get help." Fang's voice was rough, if I didn't know better I'd swear I could see tears brimming in his eyes. Gazzy, Nudge and Angel were blubbering and were pale, Gem's lip was trembling as she tried hard not to cry.

I lost sight of the others as my eyelids fell, like dumbbells. I opened my mouth to tell them it was okay, I was only resting my eyes. But red liquid flowed past my lips instead, when someone started shaking me, I didn't even have the strength to form a mental groan. Blackness surrounded me from everywhere.

Fang POV

I always thought there were three things in life I hated. One, scientists, jerks and people who annoyed me in general. Second, people who tried to get me to do something I didn't want to do. Third, was when Nudge tried to get me to where a pink shirt, why the hell would I wear a pink shirt? But now I had discovered a fourth to join that list. I hated waiting in dull hospital rooms, whilst the woman I loved was being operated on. And I still had no clue how she was doing, it had already been five hours. The kids were crashed out on the chairs dotted around the room, Stone and Talon were just staring out the window, they'd been there for two hours straight, no joke. Ice was silently sat on a chair, clutching Iggy's hand, both of their faces were stoic. Dr. Martinez was talking to some government officials. Total was with Ella at a hotel. Sketch and his two siblings were on a ward as well. They were in better condition than Max.

I rubbed my fingers over my temples, trying to ease the worry and panic I had ever since I had seen Max jump into the path of a cement truck. She hadn't even flinched as it barrelled closer, instead she had basically brought down the Armageddon, destroying all of the evil experiments chasing us, only she had missed one. The storm had cleared and I had seen my angel, standing there proud, scraped and bruised and a little worse for wear, but alive, not mortally injured.

Till Rip had ran up behind her, driving what looked like a long sliver of metal, he had probably gotten it from the pieces of scattered metal that had broken off the truck. He drove it through her like knife through butter. She fell, there was so much blood. Then he kissed her and left laughing. Then I held my broken angel, fearing I wouldn't be able to fly with her ever again.

How had things become heaven after living so long without her, and then it had all so quickly become hell, my worst nightmare.

The door clicked open and I jumped to my feet. The doctor at the door was wearing scrubs and looked exhausted.

"May I speak with whoever is in charge?" Stone and Talon stepped forward, following the doctor down a hallway into a office, I followed them, neither said anything.

"Well, where do I begin?" The doctor sighed and ran a hand through his sweaty black hair.

"How about telling us whether she's still alive and if she'll last the night." Talon snapped.

"Ah, right I'm sorry. Of course you'd want to know. Well the surgery went well, for someone in her condition. She was lucky the metal missed her vitals and just made a mess. We set her leg as it was slightly crushed and broken. With any luck she'll get through the night without any problems. However…there was one thing that we found that is worrying. Do you know if she has ever suffered severe head trauma?"I was confused, I'm guessing getting hit in the head wasn't classed as _severe, _but Talon and Stone seemed to know something as they frowned.

"What did you find?" Stone asked.

The doctor stood up and clicked on the light to a quite board, pinned to it was an x-ray of a brain and a skull. "This is Max's brain we took the x-ray once we realised that her normal brain functions weren't working and she was bleeding from the ear. These dark grey smudges are patches of blood, her brain has started haemorrhaging and it is moving. We can fix this but, if you look along the outer edge of the skull, there's lines running through the bone. We cant operate without knowing if she's ever had previous brain surgery before, do you know where these marks came from?"

Talon closed his eyes and sank into a chair. Stone started cursing with so many words it all seemed like one big curse. I couldn't take, all of my frustration and pent up anger built until it burst. In a rush I stormed up to them and pointed an accusing finger.

"What haven't you told me?"

"It wasn't our place to say, but at the moment it no longer matters. Around twelve months ago Max was captured, there was a new project they wanted to try on her, all we know is that they tried to do something to her mind, they scarred her brain but as a consequence her abilities intensified, but also if she overworks herself she more or less frazzles her mind. I can give her an antidote which we managed to swipe from the labs, it helps ease the mind and allows it to heal quicker. Don't do surgery though, it'll only make things worse." Stone refused to look at me and focused on the doctor.

"But surgery needs to be done, she'll be at threat-"

"Have you ever dealt with an experiment before, ever had to learn how to act to keep them safe when human experiments have put their life in danger?" Talon challenged.

"Well no I haven't put technically-"

"Technically you've never dealt with this. We appreciate you wanting to help, but I've been treating Max for a while now. I know what's best for her." Stone turned away and walked out, sure enough the doctor would do what he wanted done. When we were in the hallway and there was no one around, I grabbed Stone by his shirt collar and slammed him into the wall, pinning him there as I snarled in his face.

"What the hell do you mean you've been treating her? Why the hell didn't you tell me."

"Ease off Fang. If she didn't tell you, then we have no right to." Talon just watched me carefully as he spoke oh so calmly.

"I couldn't care what's right or not. If something concerning her health, her safety, her happiness, you should have told me. Max is a martyr she'll endure everything on her own no matter how painful it is, just to save everyone else from even worrying. She's not alone anymore."

"You cant replace Blitz." It felt like a punch to the gut as Stone made the silent accusation that I was even trying to replace him.

"I'm not trying to replace him, just like he was never going to replace me. But unfortunately he's not here anymore, I am."

Stone nodded, slowly my hands relaxed and I let him go, he didn't back away, he squared off with me and stared straight into my eyes. "Then I hope your strong enough to help her and support her when she needs it. And I'll tell you the exact same thing I told Blitz."

I raised my eyebrows in question. "If you hurt her, in any shape or form, you better run for your life and pray that death catches you before I do. That is a promise I will keep whether I carry it out now or in years to come."

I nodded in understanding, honestly I would probably act the same way with Angel and Nudge seeing someone, heck probably even Gazzy. In silence we walked back to the waiting room, my heart lightened when I reassured the flock she would be okay and we only had to wait for her to heal better. Things were even better when a nurse came in and said we could stay in her hospital room, apparently Stone had convinced them that we were better at protecting her than the government feds. I couldn't have agreed more.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I blinked, slowly. I winced as sharp light pierced my eyes and blinked even slower. I wasn't sure on how much time had passed but I knew I was no longer in the hospital. They had brought me home. I was tucked into my bed, the simple blue walls guarding me, the scent of Blitz still clung to this room, even if he had been dead for a while. The sun shined down through my ceiling window, I refused to look away until my eyes focused enough for me to not wince.

I heaved a deep sigh and slowly slid my legs out of the side of the bed, everything felt like jelly, my limbs shook and I had no strength in myself to support my own body. I reached a hand out to grasp my bed post, I clung on with stubborn fingers, refusing to let go as I painstakingly slowly hoisted myself up into a sitting position. I slumped forward, resting my elbows on my knees as my head drooped as I tried to catch my breath. Damn it, I hated it when I was so weak.

I raised my head up and I saw the glass of water resting on my bedside table, a shiny blue pill resting next to it. Frowning I glanced down at my arm, I was in my PJ shorts and t-shirts so I didn't need to roll up any sleeves to see the numerous needle marks dotting my arm. Even though I knew Stone had given me the injections to keep me alive, I still couldn't help my shiver of revulsion. Now that I was awake I could stick to the tablets, the injections were only for the severe cases.

Dropping my arm I reached out for the glass and tablet. Without stopping to even think of the medicine I downed it with a gulp of cold H2O. It was after I had rested the glass down with shaking hands and had slumped back into the duvet and pillows that I raised my eyes to the shadow that sat at the foot of my bed.

"You now I'm sure if you stay there for a bit longer you might just become a fossil."

Fang got up from his spot and moved to sit on the edge of my bed, there was more than enough room seeing as I had a double, heck I had needed it when I had shared this room with Blitz. And no, get your mind out of the gutter people, I never did the nasty, I just felt comfortable with him and he helped me sleep.

"Maybe I could leave you alone if I didn't feel like everything is trying to rip you away from me."

I curled my fingers around his hand. "Everything, well could you narrow it down a little bit?"

He pinched the inside of my wrist and I laughed. "You're going to make me go grey before I even hit twenty."

I considered his dark black hair, darker than the night itself. "Now that's a challenge."

Fang smiles and seems to relax the tension out of his body. He gently lies down next to me. "Max…."

The silence between us seemed to swallow up his words. I knew what he wanted to know, I knew I should have told him a while ago, but I really didn't want to.

"Fang, cant you just forget what happened?"

By his furious expression I guess not. Before he could get into a real worked up state I rested my head on his chest and spoke the words that would calm him. "Fine, I'll talk, but only cause I actually like you."

I rested on him as one of his hands started stroking my hair. "I got experimented on a few months ago, they did something to my brain." I tap the side of my head for emphasis. "When I got out I was fine for a while, but soon I started suffering side effects, I started slipping into comas, collapsing, forgetting things. Stone did some research, he figured out they had down something, so he broke into the labs and managed to find these solutions that were meant to help me combat the side effects. Only I'm basically reliant upon the formulas, if I stop taking them I collapse, lose control…or worse."

"What do you mean or worse." Fangs fingers stop twirling my hair around his finger.

I sigh again, a more soul weary one. "Fine I'll say it loud and simple. If I'm not careful the side effects can sometimes cause me to have cardiac arrest, or go brain dead."

Fang grabbed my chin so he could tilt my face up and stare into my eyes. "You mean you could die."

I figured I didn't have to say anything, the answer was there in my eyes.

Fang squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bride of his nose with his other hand. His chest shook as he took deep breaths.

I'm not sure on how long we just laid there together, a while because soon my eyes started drooping and the light coming from my window turned darker. I was swallowed into an abyss of warm dreams.

Fang POV

Me and Max woke up at the same time, she wouldn't ask for my help but I had to support her as we slowly walked down the stairs to the silent living room. She was pretty weak, panting and sweating, but I couldn't ignore her need to move around, she'd just have to put up with me being worried over her. 

I laid her down on the sofa and felt my chest tighten as her pale face relaxed into the cushions. I went into the kitchen and got her drink of water and a cookie that was sat on the counter. Just waiting for someone…..Max…to eat it.

I handed her the cookie and set the drink down on the coffee table. She attacked the cookie the second her eyes locked on to it, it reminded me of an animal documentary I had watched once of a lion attacking a gazelle. Yeah, it was that barbaric the way she tore into the poor cookie.

"So," I asked as she sipped the drink, "What are we going to do next?" 

She put the glass down with a little frown that made me want to brush it away with a kiss. Instead I settled for twining our fingers together.

"Next…Well what I plan to do is to find the operative labs that sent the experiments after us, hopefully Sketch will have something we can use."

We both looked up at the ceiling at the sound of heavy footsteps. She smiled and settled into my side. 

"But right now, you're going to have to guard from a hyped up Gem and Nudge."

On queue, Gem and Nudge nearly came tumbling down the stairs together, their faces brightened when they saw Max. 

"I told you she was up!" Gem shouted fist pumping the air. "My home CCTV cameras around the house are in top working order."

"OMG Max it was amazing Gem showed me her security station, and you guys came up on the thermal imagery it was so cool, you were like giant red blobs, only it would be even cooler if you could be different coloured blobs, I mean don't get me wrong or anything reds okay but purple and pink are sooooo-""Nudge hit the brakes and take a breath." I said in calm voice that she immediately obeyed.

As she gasped for breath we heard more footsteps coming down. 

Max yawned and stretched. "Well it looks like you girls woke up the neighbourhood. So who's cooking me breakfast?"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Max POV

**A/N Sorry its been so long..but Im going to be honest with you, my sister has been suffering with Lukemia and she died a few weeks ago, I just haven't felt like typing at all and only now I've started comming back on here. Im sorry for not updating for so long, I hope you can forgive me, I am trying to getback into this, life's to short to stop things just for grieving.**

I needed to buy Flick a thank you present. He was a simple human, with a enhanced brain power because of some drugs the scientists had pushed through his veins. But he had managed to hack into the Itex main global satellite and had found one of the main lab bases we'd been hunting for years. According to his research it was the lab who had taken me and Blitz, the one that had experimented on me and the one that had killed him. I was so dying to pay them a visit.

"The Intel was a bit sketchy but Flick is certain that they only have the basic outer defences, shouldn't be that hard to pick them apart, once we're inside he'll kill the electricity supply outlet, they'll be blind, all we need to do is take them out before they can take us out." Talon spoke softly behind me to the others.

We were out of sight of the seemingly harmless bland grey building about a mile away, we were sheltered by a covering of trees and bushes up on a rock face. We had travelled for two days to hit the middle of no where in the Montana wilds. I grinned, when we needed to get somewhere we could get there quicker than some fright trains if needed be. Just a few seconds of flight separated me from my revenge, I had waited so long searching for this specific base of operations now I-

"MAX!"

I blinked and turned to raise a eyebrow at Talon. "You say something?"

He grumbled. "Yeah repeatedly. What are you doing, this isn't the time for daydreaming."

I smirked. "I'm plotting my revenge."

Stone rolled his eyes. "Yeah well you can focus on the here and now then go get it, but I want no stupid acts that lands us in the shit house you got it?"

I rolled my eyes back. "Yeah I got it. Anything else Dad?"

"Yeah cut the attitude." We smirked at each other then started laughing for no reason, already I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, getting ready for the fight to come.

"Right we'll go in two waves, the flyers hit first to get the brunt of the force then after five the ground runners join in the fray, then its all on. Ready?" I asked looking around at their faces.

I had mutual nods in return and just like that we set into action. I wasn't much of a talker right now those of us who could fly spread out along the cliffs edge, crouched and ready to fly off as soon as the ones who had no wings and relied on their feet we're at their point. My attention was locked on the building ahead of us, my sharp eyes could pick out the smaller buildings and the nearly non see-able wire fence lining it. There were guards waiting all right.

The Bluetooth in my ear crackled. "We're in position, you have five minutes Max to cause as much hell as you can, then we're taking over." Ice's cool, calm and always collected voice spoke into my ear.

I nodded and shook my hands out to the side in the signal to go. Then one at a time we spread our wings, leaned forward and peeled off from the cliff as silent as any hawk.

Gem flew slightly under me and Nudge and Angel were to my left, Gazzy and Iggy to my right, Talon and Stone were circling around and Fang hovered above my head. Ice preferred to work on the ground with the friends we'd called in for back up, Vine was a coyote mix and had incredible reflexes to go with his sharp teeth and claws and charming wit, he loved to hang out with the ladies. Snipe was a former Eraser, only he had lasted his expiration date and had joined us in a chance to get back at the scientists who'd left him for dead. Then there was Ivy, a vicious girl who had hyena genes thrown into her DNA for the sake of it. Her hair was a mix of black, brown, blonde and even red, but when it came to a fight she could break bones with her teeth and never backed down. I had made sure the humans had stayed home and out of harms way. I didn't want any more people getting hurt or killed on my conscience, at least the ones here stood a fighting chance.

As we neared the lab I could see people moving out on the ground coming out of the smaller buildings which were the guard towers. They stretched about three storeys up and two were actually attached to the school. I saw a glint of silver.

"Scatter guys, they have guns!" The moment the words were out of my mouth everyone was moving to avoid the bullets that came spattering at us. This was where the fun began.

It all happened too fast, guards, a mixture of human, Eraser and Butcher piled out of the guard houses to attack us from the ground and the air. We had already gone over the plan. Fang, Angel and Iggy would take the guys on the ground, Gazzy, Gem and Stone were taking on the Butchers in the sky. It was up to me and Talon to take out the guns in the towers. I swerved as I flew up the side of one of the tallest towers, the staccato bursts coming from reminded of the war movies I'd seen, when the machine guns were going off and killing anyone they struck.

Shouts and more gun shots sounded as they spotted me flying up the side of the tower, I flew in spirals up the tower to avoid getting hit, bullets grazing my skin with a sting but none actually hitting. When I cleared the opening where the guns were firing from I pushed out with my mind to knock what was in there back, men in camouflage fell to the ground and the guns stopped temporarily. I flicked my wrist and the bomb Gazzy and Iggy had made bounced onto the floor inside the tower. I shot up into the sky and called out a warning to the other. Twenty seconds passed and the tower erupted in a explosion of fire and mortar. At the same time the opposite tower exploded. Now all we had to do was get the guard houses, three minutes left.

"GET CLEAR!" When the blind flying pyro says that whilst flying away, its best to listen to him. We all dropped back and the guard houses exploded. I blinked and turned to glare at Iggy and Gazzy.

Gazzy shrugged seeing my look. "We were passing so we left a gift."

I gave him my fierce look. "That wasn't part of the plan, stick to it and no one gets killed."

I saw him pull a face. "When did you get so serious on following plans."

He didn't see my flinch but Talon did and he rested a hand on my shoulder, I shrugged him off and got back into the fight. Taking on whoever came in my way, my fists were bruised and bleeding, cuts on my body stung and my bones ached, and my mind silently gathered itself just in case I needed the help from a force greater than the human body. Or biologically enhanced human body.

The five minutes were up and we finished off the last of the adversary with the help of Ice, Vine, Snipe and Ivy. We all checked ourselves over to ascertain there were no major life threatening injuries then proceeded forward. As promised, Flick had managed to cut off all power, meaning when we walked through the buildings doors, no alarms went off. They probably already knew we were here thanks to the chaos outside.

We ran through twists and turns taking on the occasional bad guy we ran into. The rooms we broke into made my stomach churn. Not one experiment was alive, some had been cut open, and left to rot on the operating tables, others had just been chucked in a corner on top of each other. The stench made us all gag, I made sure the young ones didn't see into those rooms.

I started slowing down as we came up to what we thought was the mainframe of the building. I put my hand on the handle and pushed it open, ready to attack. Only to get knocked down by a experiment that was more beast than anything and very hairs with snapping fangs and claws that dug through flesh. Someone shouted, then I felt the experiment stiffen, the hands that grasped at me were cold. I pushed myself back and up, and stared at the experiment. It was still….like a statue. Peering closer I realised that thin trails of cool air were wisping off of it. I turned to Ice.

"What?" She asked rubbing her hands together.

"Why'd you freeze him? I could've handled it on my own." I said, feeling as though I needed to defend my fighting skills.

"True, but his breath stank from here, at least this way, he stopped breathing instantly."

The scary thing about Ice was that she meant every single word, she spoke it in her simple logical way, as if killing the beast had been completely justifiable for that reason, not the fact that it was trying to turn my belly into spaghetti. That was why she scared me, and why I had her as my friend.

As the others walked into the room, Fang stood next to me as we checked the hallway.

"How are you holding up?" He asked eyeing my scratches.

"I'm good to keep going for a while longer."

"Talon said you need to keep your mind power to a minimum, you're still recovering. So don't over do it."

I smiled at his caring. "Thanks, but I know my limit."

As everyone walked in I turned with Fang only to fall short as a metal grid fell down sealing the room shut. We shared a look and immediately started to pound on the door, Fang ran his hands around the edges looking for some way to open it.

"Damn it! We need to get them out! Who knows what's going on in there?"

I kicked at the door, glad I had worn the steel toe capped army boots.

"It's not them you need to worry about Max."

That voice that spoke so softly behind me made my blood run cold. I turned slower than Fang. My eyes widened, but it wasn't the sight of Rip grinning with a knife in his hand that made my heart stutter. I felt like I wanted to cry as I stared into those light blue eyes.

"No…" I whispered. "Please..no…."A chuckle was my answer. "Why, aren't you happy to see me again?"


End file.
